Life in Narnian Court: Love, Secrets, and War
by steph45
Summary: Life as a King and Queen seems easy on the outside, but the Pevensie siblings all face problems. Peter is falling in love with a woman he cannot marry, Susan is being courted by a man she despises, Edmund is in charge of protecting a young Prince, and Lucy meets children on the run from the law she tries to help. Then, complications arise. Together, will the monarchs succeed?
1. Plans for the Future

**A/N: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia. The main characters are created by CS Lewis, as is the Narnian world.**

**Please be nice, this is my first fanfiction.**

**Life in Narnian Court: Love, Secrets, and War**

**Chapter One- Plans for the Future**

Narnia was a land belonging to talking beasts, trees, fauns, and centaurs. Humans were scarce, except at Cair Paravel, where four humans ruled the land surrounded by nobles and advisers. High King Peter the Magnificent was above all the others, and King Edmund the Just, Queen Susan the Gentle, and Queen Lucy the Valiant ruled under him. They ruled according to the will of Aslan, the Great Lion, Son of the Emperor-Over-The-Sea. The rule of these four Kings and Queens became the Golden Age of Narnia, and throughout the country, all was well. For now.

King Peter was strolling through the vast castle gardens, taking some air before the Council meeting at four, when he saw a young girl, a few years younger than himself, reading on a bench in the sunlight. He quickened his pace and strode up to her silently before clearing his throat to speak.

"Good day, my lady."

The girl jumped, surprised, and jerked her head in the King's direction. "Oh, your Majesty, forgive me. I didn't see you." As she said these words, she stood and curtseyed.

"Pray, what is your name? I know every noble in the castle, yet your face is unfamiliar to me. Are you from elsewhere?"

"Yes, Sire, I come from Galma. My name is Kiara Butler," answered the girl.

"Why, Miss Kiara, are you in Narnia?" questioned King Peter.

"My father is a fabric merchant. We live just outside Cair Paravel, in a small trading community."

"Well, Miss, would you like to take a walk in the gardens with me?" asked King Peter. He wanted to stay with the beautiful Kiara, with her ebony-colored hair and dark eyes.

"Certainly, Sire," replied Kiara.

During the walk, Peter and Kiara talked and laughed. The King enjoyed being with Kiara, and hardly noticed as the hour drew on, until it was well past four. When he glanced at his watch, he sighed.

"Oh dear, I must go. I am late for my council meeting." Kiara could hear the sadness in Peter's voice as he spoke.

"Perhaps we can meet again tomorrow," she suggested.

Peter's face lit up at this proposal. "Indeed. I'll see you tomorrow," he answered before striding away hurriedly.

Meanwhile, in the grand council room of Cair Paravel, three monarchs and a great deal of councilmen had taken their places around a large rectangular table. All the chairs were filled. All except one.

"Where is the High King?" demanded a man with short blond hair and green eyes. "Why is he late?"

"Be patient, Lord Boklin. He will arrive soon," replied King Edmund.

"It is not like him to be late. Maybe we should send someone to fetch him," proposed Queen Susan. She was anxiously glancing at the door, and those around her felt that her brother's absence made her uncomfortable.

Just then, the double doors swung open and King Peter entered. Without breaking his stride, he nodded at the crowd before him and settled in his high-backed chair.

"Greetings, your Majesties, my Lords. Forgive me for being late, but now we may begin."

"Your Majesty," said King Edmund, who had been watching Peter intently since his entrance, "what kept you from joining us? Everyone present knows you are very punctual, and for you to be late, we must imagine something important has come up." As the young man watched his brother, he saw a flicker of panic cross his face, but it went away instantly.

"Ah, dear brother, I wasn't doing anything of importance, so let's wait no longer and begin our discussions. I do not wish for anyone to stay here longer than needed on my account."

"With all due respect, your Majesty, King Edmund is right in asking for the reason of this untimely occurrence." The man who had just spoken was Lord Perdian, one of the first men to be appointed to council.

"Yes, please explain yourself," added Queen Susan. "Whatever it is, my sister, brother, and I deserve to know."

"It's not important," protested King Peter.

"Please," Queen Lucy said gently, "tell us what happened." Her voice was soft, and all the councilmen turned and stared at her. King Peter's gaze met hers, and though she blushed from all the attention, the young sovereign didn't look away. Finally, the corners of King Peter's mouth turned up and he let out a small laugh.

"Well, since my fair sister wishes to be bored to death, I will tell you." His tone was light and cheery, which puzzled King Edmund. What was going on with his brother? Frowning slightly, the young King surveyed the room. Everyone seemed perfectly at ease. Still, things were not always what they seem, and Edmund swore to himself to figure out what was happening.

"I was visiting the trade center of Galma," began King Peter, "when I started talking to a merchant. He and I discussed the textile industry of Galma. As you know, Galma is famous for its fine cloth, but it is not yet a greatly industrialized country. Therefore, there are no factories to make clothing. The cloth must be shipped either to Narnia or Archenland, where it is sewn into garments, before being sold. Now consider this: clothing in Galma is shipped from a foreign country; however the fabric started out in Galma. Is it not a waste to do all this needless transport? Also, my royal sisters can confirm this point, fabric is cut away when clothes are made, and the pieces must be thrown away because they are too small to use for other purposes." He motioned to the two Queens. "Is this true, your Majesties?"

"Indeed, you are fully correct," responded Queen Susan with a smile. "Please, continue."

"Well, on a large scale, it is very costly to transport extra cloth that will not be used anyway. So my thought was that Narnia could build a factory in Galma and get a portion of the profit, but of course hire Galmans to run and maintain it. What say you to this proposal, my Lords?"

"It is well thought out, your Majesty," replied King Edmund, "but I cannot help but think that this is a matter that we can discuss at a later date. It is not imperative that this problem is solved immediately. Now we have some more urgent topics to confer about."

"I never meant to insinuate otherwise," retorted High King Peter, "but the majority of people in this room including you, your Majesty, insisted I recount this tale." These words were met by a silence as the two Kings glared coldly at each other. "Now, let's begin what we have gathered about," announced King Peter as he detached his eyes from his younger brother. "Prince Rabadash has expressed that he would like to visit us here, in Narnia, for the first time. Any thoughts?"

"The Prince and many Calormens, including their ruler, the Tisroc, dislike Narnia greatly," said Boklin. "Whatever the intent of the Prince may be, I believe it is not for the good of Narnia. His request should be refused."

"However," remarked Queen Susan, "Calormen is a powerful country that we do not want to upset. The Prince is, I know, insufferable, but Narnia would benefit from a good relationship with Calormen. For the good of Narnia, this man should be not only invited, but welcomed."

"I agree with the Queen. Prince Rabadash is a foolish young man, and I do not believe he wants to harm our country in any way. Therefore, it is common politeness to invite him," said Perdian.

"Your Majesty, what do you think?" questioned Queen Susan. "You have hardly spoken, dear sister."

Queen Lucy sighed and answered, "Lord Boklin is right, partially. There may be more to this invitation than we know. However, the best way to understand the happenings around us is to be close to them, a part of them if we can. I believe he must be allowed to stay at Cair Paravel, and we must treat him with all the honor a prince deserves."

King Edmund gave a small nod of approval at these words, and King Peter declared, "I suppose that settles it. Word will be sent to Tashbaan that Prince Rabadash is welcome to stay here as long as he desires." He paused for a moment. "What is the other issue we meant to talk about?"

"Sire, it is the letter from King Lune of Archenland," answered a young Lord quietly. He had just been appointed and was still very much in awe of the splendor of the palace and the happenings around him that he was now a part of.

"Ah, yes. Barely an hour ago, a messenger arrived from the castle of Anvard. He carried a message from the King, and had ridden non-stop from Archenland to give us this letter."

"Sire, what does the letter say?" demanded Lord Boklin.

King Peter glared at Boklin. "If you would let me continue, my Lord, you would learn it soon enough. The letter is brief, and it asks that King Edmund come visit King Lune at Anvard immediately. There is no explanation stated, and…"

"Pardon me, your Majesty," interrupted Queen Susan, "but if this matter is so urgent, why is King Edmund still here? King Lune is a noble man, and I'm sure that this matter must be very important and perhaps secret, which is why he couldn't put it in the letter. Otherwise why would the messenger have ridden continuously from Anvard? It's very far away."

Before Peter could respond, King Edmund declared, "My royal sister speaks rightly. King Lune is my friend, and I trust that if he wants to see me, it must be something of importance." He turned to a guard. "Have my horse saddled immediately. I will leave at once."

"Wait!" ordered King Peter, and the guard stopped dead in his tracks. "So be it. King Edmund will go to Anvard, but he will not be alone. Have an escort of five men readied so that they may protect the King if need be."

"Thank you, King Peter," snapped King Edmund, "but with all due respect, I think I am to decide if I shall travel with an escort, and I am in no need of their services. Your concern is appreciated," he continued, speaking in a dry tone, "but is unnecessary."

"On the contrary, _dear_ brother, it is I, not you, that can decide whether you will travel accompanied or not. As King, you cannot arrive at Anvard looking like a simple traveler. You shall have an escort fit for your rank."

"If you think you can control my actions, Sire," said King Edmund with a slight smirk at the word _sire_, "you are mistaken. Ready the escort if you wish, but I will not travel alongside them."

"You will…" began King Peter, but he was interrupted.

"Stop! Both of you." It was Queen Lucy who had spoken, and when her brothers were looking at her she said, "don't fight. It's not the end of the world." She walked up to King Edmund and put her hand on his shoulder. He made no effort to dislodge it. Dropping the formalities the siblings had agreed to use in public, the young girl spoke softly, so that her voice was hardly above a whisper. "The reason Peter wants you to travel with an escort is because he cares for you. Please accept, for having one can't do you any harm." When she noticed her brother's clenched jaw, she added, "Please, Ed. For me." Edmund looked at his sister, nodded ever so slightly, and walked swiftly out of the room.

"Council is over," said King Peter, and he followed his brother's footsteps out of the grand hall, that now looked very grim to Lucy.

Susan put her arm around Lucy. "Come on," she said gently, but Lucy perceived a touch of sadness in her sister's voice, and also in her eyes. She said nothing, and the two sisters walked out slowly.


	2. An Odd Meeting

**A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed, followed, or favorited (is that a word?) the story. It's nice to see that someone other than me enjoys it. I figure I should tell the story of my story now... my sister and I thought up portions of the plot about 2 years ago, and I had written it down. Now, I refound the idea and decided to turn it into an actual story. So this is dedicated to my sister.**

**I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia. Many of the characters and the world belong to CS Lewis.**

**Chapter Two- An Odd Meeting**

Still very upset about the outcome of the meeting, Lucy had exited Cair Paravel as quickly as she could. She hadn't thought to bring her warm cloak, and a chilly gust was already making her shiver. She walked with a fast determined pace despite the wind that seemed to want nothing but to make her turn back. Lucy made toward the forest, where she would find shelter from the wind. Also, she hoped to meet a friend there, a dryad named Ava, a birch-girl whose tree was planted not far off. The two had been friends for years, and Lucy tried to visit her as often as she could.

Soon, Lucy entered a small clearing. Ava's tree was close by. Warm sunlight shone down on her and she loved the feeling so much that she lay on a nearby patch of heather and closed her eyes. Soon, she had dozed off.

Suddenly, a sharp crack resounded. Lucy sat up, startled. Her eyes darted back and forth, and she captured a streak of yellow, no of gold, that flicked behind a tree just as her eyes settled on it. She strained her ears, and faintly heard an animal roar mixed into the wind rustling the trees. The roar was powerful and filled Lucy with determination and courage. She stood up, glanced around, and started making her way through the trees, toward the sound. After a minute or two, she stopped. The wind had ceased, and there was nothing else to be heard. As Lucy turned around, she realized something horrible. She was lost. While walking, the girl had paid no attention to where she was going, and now she had no idea where to go.

Lucy breathed deeply. An overwhelming desire to cry grew in her, and though she tried, there was no way to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks before falling with a plop on her sky blue dress. She fell to her knees and buried her head in her hands in despair.

Abruptly, the young child grew quiet. She wiped away her tears angrily. This was no time to cry. The sun was setting, and by using its position, she could get back to Cair Paravel. She should travel toward the left of the sun because it set in the east. Or did it set in the west, in which case the sun should be in her back? Lucy bit her lip. This would be no use. She had no hope of getting home.

Lucy was pacing back and forth. Her head was spinning so much that when she heard it, she took no notice of it at first. Then, her mind registered it and she froze, shocked. Voices! It wasn't her brothers or anyone else she knew from Cair Paravel, but the thought that she wasn't alone in these woods was enough to comfort her. She edged nearer to the voices and finally was able to make out words.

"Dumon, stop making so much noise!" A girl had spoken, and a few seconds later came into view, forcing Lucy to hide behind a tree to keep watching without being seen. The girl had long black hair held back in a messy, hastily made bun. She wore a Calormen-style dress, but it was ripped and mud-splattered. Her face wore a careworn expression, and Lucy found herself thinking the girl must not have slept well in weeks, maybe months.

Already two more figures emerged from the shadows. One was a young boy, maybe ten years old. His clothes showed signs of a difficult journey, but his face bore a joyous expression. He was even humming a popular Calormen tune as he skipped along. Finally, Lucy saw a boy about her age. He seemed to be the oldest of the three, and his face was so similar to the girl and boy that it was impossible for them not to be related. As Lucy was taking in these details, the oldest boy spoke.

"Leandra, I think this will do for tonight. We've travelled a lot, and now we need to eat and sleep."

"I agree. We have just enough bread for tonight and some leftover meat. Tomorrow we can worry about getting more food. Dumon, do you have the food sack?"

"Here it is, Leandra," answered the youngest boy. Leandra was beginning to unpack the food when Lucy stepped out from her hiding space.

"Hello." The three children jumped. The older boy, whose name Lucy didn't know, stepped in front of the others.

"Who are you?" As he asked this, he studied her and an expression of terror appeared on his face. "Oh, no. You… you're Queen Lucy."

"Yes, but who are you? You look and dress like Calormens, yet it is odd for Calormen children to be in Narnia without an adult."

"Your Majesty, please. We are Calormens, but please, please, don't tell anyone we're here." As she said this, Leandra's voice was filled with fear. Lucy immediately felt sorry for them.

"Don't worry. You don't seem to be a threat. Everyone deserves their privacy, and if you don't want others to know that you're here, then I won't tell. What are your names?"

"Your Majesty…" began the boy.

"Call me Lucy. It is only at Cair Paravel and when I'm surrounded by people that I'm "Queen" Lucy. Here I'm just Lucy, a regular girl like you."

"Um, yes. My name is Jameesh, and here is my sister Leandra and my brother Dumon. You… you won't tell anyone who we are, will you?"

"Jameesh!" exclaimed Dumon. "She already said that. Plus, she seems really nice, not at all like someone who'd betray us." He turned toward Lucy. "Do you want to eat with us?"

Lucy glanced at Dumon's siblings and saw a reproachful expression on their faces. _Of course_, she thought, _they have very little food, and I can't ask them to share it with me_. So she smiled at Dumon and said, "I'd love to, but I must get back. Now, can I ask you just one favor?"

"Of course."

"Do you know the way back to the castle of Cair Paravel? I got lost while walking in the woods."

"The castle is to the east, so it should be… that way." Jameesh pointed in the direction Lucy had been coming from. "Good luck getting back."

"Thanks a lot. Oh, and can I come visit you again? Tomorrow morning… no afternoon. We've got a visitor coming in the morning."

"If you wish," replied Leandra, "we'd love for you to come again."

"Well, I've really got to go. See you guys tomorrow!"

"Bye, Lucy," shouted Dumon as she began walking away. Lucy turned around and waved at him before disappearing from view.

Susan knocked gently on a polished oak door. "Come in," said a muffled voice. She opened the door and saw Peter sitting on his bed, his head between his hands. She walked over and sat next to him.

"You okay?" she asked. Peter could hear the concern in her voice as she spoke.

"Guess so."

"Well, if you need to talk, I'm available," Susan offered.

"Thanks… I'm just so angry at myself."

"It's not all your fault. Edmund got carried away too."

"Yeah, but I'm older. I should be setting the example. Not only that, I'm a King. I should be able to control my anger."

"You should talk to Edmund, try to sort this out. Did he leave already?"

Peter nodded. "Just a few minutes ago. I'm going to try extra hard to be nice to him when he returns. I love him, and I didn't want anything to happen to him."

"I understand. I feel the same way. When the two of you go off to war, I often lock myself in my room and cry. I'm just so worried that you… that you won't come back."

Peter saw Susan's eyes fill with tears. He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I get the same feeling seeing Edmund fight. I know he's no longer a boy, but I just want to get him out of danger. If anything ever happened to him in battle, I don't think I could forgive myself." Both stayed silent for a moment. Then Susan lifted her head and looked Peter in the eyes.

"He's lucky… not only him, but me and Lucy too, to have you to look out for us. We – and Narnia – need you. You don't realize it, but I do."

"I only manage because of you, Edmund, and Lucy. Alone I couldn't do anything."

Susan smiled weakly. "You must have so much pressure all the time. No wonder you lost it earlier. But anytime you have trouble with something, or can't solve a problem, you can ask us. We're a family, and we can do more united than alone." The two young monarchs sat still for a moment, then hugged each other. Suddenly, the clock struck seven. "Dinnertime," whispered Susan, and they got up to go downstairs to enjoy a wondrous meal.

Lucy made it back just in time for dinner. She was disappointed to hear that Edmund had left already, but other things soon preoccupied her more.

Dinner is always in the large dining hall. Other than the Kings and Queens, many nobles are present. Most of the Lords from Council go with their families, and other nobles who live in Cair Paravel attend as well. All of these people are much older than Lucy – actually, most are older than King Peter – so has a habit of half-listening, half-daydreaming. This helps contribute to the opinion of most people that Queen Lucy doesn't talk. As she thought of what she would do for the Calormens she'd met in the forest, her ears picked up something well worth hearing.

"Oh, I do hope these people are caught," Queen Susan was saying as Queen Lucy began listening. "It's frightening to think that dangerous Calormens are roaming Narnia."

"What did they do?" asked Queen Lucy. Every pair of eyes in the room looked at her. "I mean, why are they dangerous?" she tried to continue bravely.

"Well, it is rumored that they were planning a murder when their plot was discovered," explained Lord Perdian. "I believe it was of a Calormen nobleman, but I am not positive. They are being looked for everywhere, wanted posters are found here, in Calormen, Archenland, and some of the island countries." He noticed a scared expression on Queen Lucy's face. "Don't worry, your Majesty, they'll be caught soon."

Queen Lucy smiled weakly, and asked, "Could I see pictures of the criminals?"

"Here is a poster," said King Peter, handing his sister a rolled up sheet of paper. As she opened it, he saw her face become pale and her eyes open wide. "Are you all right?" he asked. When she nodded, he decided not to insist. Fortunately, Lord Matlor began a tale of a hunting adventure he'd had recently, so attention was turned away from Queen Lucy.

Queen Susan listened politely to the conversation, but couldn't help but glance at Queen Lucy as often as she could. Her sister was looking grim and upset, and the Queen longed to comfort her, but knew that she couldn't during the banquet. As she was thinking through this, a Lady sitting by her asked a question about the silk of her new gown, and Queen Susan turned her thoughts away from Queen Lucy for the moment.


	3. Royal Arrival

**A/N: Here is where the conflict begins... Thank you again to those who are enjoying the story. And if you are, don't hesitate to review! Note: I don't own the Chronicles of Narnia.**

**Chapter Three- Royal Arrival**

That evening, King Lune of Archenland was sitting at his desk, working a financing issue that had just sprung up. He was frowning from concentration while scribbling on a piece of fine parchment, the most expensive kind. A knock on the door pulled him out of his profound thinking. He looked up as a servant walked in and bowed before him.

"What do you want?" demanded the King crossly.

"Your Majesty, King Edmund has arrived. He is in the courtyard."

King Lune stood and strode to the window. He saw King Edmund get off his horse, then hand the reins to a servant. He had a smile on his face, and said something to the servant that made them both laugh. Laugh while you can my friend, thought King Lune, for your mind will no longer be at ease after you have spoken to me.

"Um, Sire?" asked the servant. "Shall I tell the King to come upstairs?"

"No, that's okay. I'll go and greet him myself."

He went outside, and then exclaimed, "King Edmund, I am so glad to see you."

"As am I, your Majesty," answered King Edmund, smiling.

"Why, your Majesty, I see you are alone."

"Yes, why do you ask? You only asked to see me."

"I find it odd that High King Peter would let you travel without an escort."

"Oh, he tried to, but I was in no need of them, so I left them behind. They are probably still in Narnia, about a third of the way here."

"Your Majesty, what happened for them to be so far behind?" asked King Lune.

"Nothing, nothing. You know, we should get started talking about whatever you wanted to see me about."

"Follow me." The two Kings entered the castle and passed through and by many exquisitely furnished rooms with beautiful paintings on the walls, large rugs with complicated patterns sewn on them. The castle of Anvard was much smaller than Cair Paravel, but the decorations were just as extravagant. Finally, King Lune led his guest into a small room. There was only one painting on the wall, a small carpet, and two comfortable armchairs by a low table with carved legs. A fire was burning in the hearth and made this small insignificant room seem warm and welcoming.

"You must be wondering why we're here instead of the sitting room," said King Lune. King Edmund nodded. "I have very important things to tell you, and I don't want to be overheard, so I chose to speak to you in this small room away from the palace commotion. Please, have a seat."

Both men sat down, and King Edmund asked, "What is it? You have an expression of pain on your face. Tell me your troubles and I'll try to help you."

"If I ask you a favor, do you swear on your honor as a King and Knight to do it and keep it secret? This is a matter of extreme importance."

Without any hesitation, King Edmund answered, "yes, I'll do anything in my power to help you, no matter what it involves."

"Good. I expected that you'd say that, but I needed to be sure. Danger is lurking in this castle."

"Why? Please, stop sounding so mysterious."

"My son, Prince Corin, is in danger of being murdered. Travelers came to me saying that my son's life was in danger. Now I must do something to protect him. You, King Edmund, are one of my dearest friends and one of the few people that I would be able to hand my son over to without a doubt about his safety."

"Your Majesty, I am honored that you would pick me for such an important task. I will guard the Prince with my life," replied King Edmund firmly.

"Thank you, thank you." Relief was evident in King Lune's voice. "Corin likes you and respects you, so I know he will obey your orders… well, as much as he obeys me."

"I have a few questions. First, how did you learn of these happenings? Second, why must this stay absolutely secret? My siblings would not betray you."

"Some nobles traveling in Calormen overheard people saying that my son's life was in danger. Upon hearing this, they shorted their stay to come and tell me immediately."

"I see," replied King Edmund thoughtfully. He couldn't imagine that murderers would be foolish enough to talk about their plans where information can be overheard. "What about my second question?"

"I know that the other Kings and Queens would keep the secret, but the less people are aware of these happenings, the better. Do not tell anyone unless you absolutely have to."

"Also, what should I answer when they ask what you needed me for?"

"We have a financing issue here in Archenland. I was working on it as you arrived. Just say I needed to consult you about that. You are an excellent financer, right?"

"Yes. I take care of finance problems in Narnia."

"Ah, I have one more favor to ask. Is it possible for Corin to leave with you tomorrow morning? I don't want him to travel at night."

"Yes, that would be fine." King Edmund grasped King Lune's hand. "To kill Corin, those murderers will have to kill me first."

"Thank you."

There was an uncomfortable silence. King Lune suddenly stood. "Shall we see what Corin is up to?" he asked with a smile. When his friend nodded, he led the way out the door.

They walked outside to the garden, and by the lily pond they found Prince Corin climbing a tree. When he saw his father and King Edmund he jumped down from the high branch on which he was and ran over to greet them joyfully.

"King Edmund! I'm so happy that you're here. Father said you had some business to do, and that after that you would work on swordplay with me. I've gotten much better, you see, and I think I'm ready to learn some new moves."

"I'm sure you are, your Highness," replied King Edmund. "Why don't we duel for a little while? Supper is very soon, so we only have time for one small battle. Is that all right?"

"Yes, yes. Let's get started. I'll go get my sword." Corin rushed off.

King Edmund smiled as he watched the young Prince skip gleefully along the path. "Poor boy," he muttered, almost to himself. "Does he know the danger he's in?" he asked, turning his attention back to King Lune.

The King of Archenland shook his head. "No. I thought we should tell him together, tonight. It will be hard on him when he learns it, and I wanted to spare him as long as possible." He paused. "Do you know where you will bring him? It must be secluded enough for soldiers to be able to patrol without arising suspicion."

"I have an idea, but it will only work if you will allow me to let some friends into the secret. I know they will not betray us, for they have already done me great service in the past."

"How many are they?"

"Just two. They could also provide food and lodging to the soldiers that will guard the Prince, and it is more fun to stay with Narnians than alone surrounded by soldiers."

King Lune sighed. "Fine. However, these people must stay where the guards can watch them at all times, so that they can't betray us." King Edmund opened his mouth to protest, but Corin came running out at that moment, sword in hand.

"Let's get started, King Edmund." The King drew his sword, and the two combatants got ready to fight. Corin made the first move. He lashed at the King, but the latter was ready. He blocked the strike easily. Now he could have disarmed Corin, but he wanted to see what the boy was capable of and to give him a chance to win. King Lune, who had seen the opportunity for King Edmund, frowned slightly when his friend made no motion to attack. Then, guessing at his strategy, he smiled once again.

After a few minutes, during which Corin fought beautifully for such a young boy, King Edmund disarmed him by feinting at the boy's head and then striking underneath. He hit the sword with such might that even a fine warrior may have let go. Corin fell down panting. The King sheathed his sword and held out his hand to the Prince to help him up. "You are a fine swordsmen, your Highness. You have potential, and with more training, you may grow up to be one of the finest swordsmen in the world." The Prince blushed and looked down at this compliment. He knew that both King Edmund and High King Peter were called the best swordsmen to have ever lived, and to be praised by the King was a great honor. He tried to speak, but couldn't find the words to express himself.

"Bravo, bravo," exclaimed King Lune, striding closer. He didn't notice Corin's discomfort, or if he did, he didn't show it. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but dinner is served, and if we don't get there soon, we will be eating cold soup as our appetizer." He, his son, and his guest walked inside together, laughing and talking.

The next morning, Cair Paravel was bustling. Everyone was preparing for Prince Rabadash, who was due at ten. Everyone, servants and nobles alike, was doing all they could to help, and it was not uncommon to see a noblewoman cleaning the windows alongside a maid. It was total chaos.

Finally, everything was set. Then came the long, seemingly endless time of waiting. Susan was in her room, trying to read a novel she had just purchased, but her mind kept wandering to the Prince. She had only met him once before, at a festival held in Calormen, and he had seemed arrogant and vain. However, she was prepared to give him a second chance. Perhaps he would be charming when she got to know him.

Outside, a trumpet sounded. Susan jumped. He was here. She got up and hurried to the throne room. Peter and Lucy were already there. No one else was present. All were outside, as is tradition in Narnia when foreign royalty is visiting.

"Ah, here you are, Susan. We were getting worried," said Peter.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not that late, really. I came down when the trumpet sounded."

"Peter came at least half an hour in advance," said Lucy with a laugh. "Poor Peter, you must be so bored. I've only been here a few minutes and I'm already dying to get out of here."

Peter heard footsteps in the hall. "Here he comes. Let's sit down." They seated themselves in their thrones. The one to the right of Peter was empty. Though none of them said it, it made them feel odd, incomplete even, to greet a visitor without their brother. Since they'd begun their rein, the four siblings almost always stayed together, except when the two boys went off to war. Now they were all reminded of the last time Edmund had left them, to see the White Witch, and it brought back painful memories. But they had very little time to get lost in recollections because the doors opened and a man announced, "Prince Rabadash of Calormen."

The Prince entered. He walked through the room with quick strides and reached the dais on which the King and Queens were seated in seconds. He bowed deeply, and when he righted himself said, "your Majesties, I am honored to be here. Thank you for your hospitality in inviting me and for the warm welcome provided by your people."

"Your Highness, it is we who are happy to have you as our guest. My royal sisters and I have anxiously awaited this moment." King Peter was about to continue when Queen Susan interrupted.

"Yes, we are pleased that you chose to visit us. I know that you know High King Peter and me, but I don't believe you have ever met my royal sister, Queen Lucy, or am I mistaken?"

"No, Madam. It is true that I have always wanted to meet the Queen, and I was most disappointed to hear that illness prevented her to come to our festival last spring. I hope that I will get to know her. Also, as I have only seen you once before, I would be honored to spend time with you as well, your Majesty." Queen Susan blushed slightly. The Prince noticed this and continued, "There is something which I haven't quite figured out. Why is his Majesty King Edmund not here with you? I thought I would get to see all the monarchs of Narnia at once."

"The King is off on business in Archenland," answered King Peter. "He should return later today or tomorrow and in the meantime wishes you a pleasant stay." He was growing tired of the Prince's talk by now. It seemed apparent that Prince Rabadash was acting fancy and well-mannered just to impress them, and that was one of the things that annoyed King Peter the most. He and the Queens asked polite questions and answered questions asked to them, but all were hoping for a way to leave. Finally, the clock struck eleven.

"Look at how fast time has gone by!" exclaimed King Peter. "Forgive us, Prince, for you must be weary of speaking to us, especially after such a long journey. I believe you should go and rest up."

"Indeed, your Majesty," responded Prince Rabadash. "If I feel well, I may attend lunch, but please don't count on it and don't be offended if I stay in my room. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd best be off."

Prince Rabadash, King Peter, Queen Susan, and Queen Lucy parted. While the others headed toward their rooms, Lucy hung back. When the coast was clear, she headed in the opposite direction, toward the kitchens.


	4. Secret Happenings

**A/N: I was going to include all the siblings, but since the next event including Lucy is pretty long, that would have ended up making this chapter really long... so instead it's a bit short. Thank you for the great response to the previous chapter. If you like what you're reading, please keep reviewing, following, or adding as a favorite! PS: I still do not own Narnia.**

**Chapter Four- Secret Happenings**

In early afternoon, Peter left Cair Paravel. He went north to a small village, located along the coast within sight of Cair Paravel. He entered the village and saw small houses, groups of horses, and wagons piled high with goods. People crowded the streets, shouting and laughing. Peter needed to cross the entire village to get to his destination, so it took him about five or ten minutes to reach the house he was looking for. It was white with green shutters and flowers on the windowsills. It was very small, but looked inviting, and Peter strode up to it confidently. This was exactly the type of house she'd live in. He knocked on the door. After a few seconds, Kiara opened it, looking lovelier than ever, thought Peter.

"Oh, how nice to see you here, Sire," said Kiara, sounding surprised but pleased. What brings you here?"

"Lovely Kiara, if you are not too busy, I would be honored to have you accompanied me on a boating trip to a small island right off the coast."

"Your Majesty, it would be my pleasure. My father is taking his cloths to the market to sell them, and I was supposed to stay here anyway. He won't even notice my absence."

"Well, in that case, shall we go?" asked Peter, thrilled. "My boat is waiting just outside the village."

Hand in hand, the two young people crossed the village again. Kiara took no notice of the mayhem around them; she seemed quite accustomed to it. On the other side of it, a small boat, slightly larger than a rowboat, but with a narrower hull and a small, deep blue sail was tied to a large rock.

"Wow, it's beautiful," whispered Kiara. Peter took her hand and led her onto the boat. He untied the rope from the rock, and they were off.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, spreading its warmth to Peter and Kiara. Peter rowed them out a bit, and then he let them drift. Neither of them dared raise their voice much because it was the sort of day where silence reigns, but it a good silence, one filled with peace and beauty. They felt that speaking loudly would violate the beauty around them. Eventually they decided to dock on the island and walk around. The sand was warm and Kiara immediately removed her shoes and walked barefoot. Peter imitated her and left his shoes next to hers by the boat. After a few hours, the combination of touring and talking became tiresome, so the pair headed off once again. As they had before, they let the boat drift as they marveled at the beauty of their surroundings.

Kiara rested her head on Peter's shoulder. For a minute or two they remained silent, then Kiara said, "thank you, Peter, for this beautiful day. I'll remember it forever."

"As will I, Kiara," responded Peter. "Today, I have had more fun than I've had in years."

The day drew on, and Peter noticed that the sun was getting lower in the sky. At that moment, Kiara said, "my father will be home soon. Maybe we should head back."

"Yes, I think you're right," answered Peter. He began to row back to the mainland, and dropped off Kiara at the same place as where they had embarked so many hours ago. Before leaving, Kiara turned to face Peter and unexpectedly hugged him. Then she waved and hurried back to her village. Peter stood dumbfounded for a minute. Kiara had hugged him! He was so happy that it took a while for him to shake off the feeling, and even as he docked the boat and headed into the castle, his head was spinning. Today was most definitely an amazing day.

Around the time of Prince Rabadash's arrival, preparations were being made at Anvard, but unlike the ones at Cair Paravel, they were quiet and secret, and happened before dawn. Very few servants were around preparing for the departure of King Edmund and Prince Corin.

Finally, everything was set. King Lune shook hands with King Edmund and hugged his son. The young boy was ecstatic. He had often dreamed of going to Narnia without his father and a crowd of nobles, and now his wish had come true. The boy did not know the danger he was in, and both Kings had decided to wait until Corin was in Narnia to tell him the news.

The party set off. King Edmund led the way, with Corin on his left and the chief of the guards protecting the Prince on his right. Behind them were six guards riding silently with their swords ready in case of an attack. The eight adults were quiet, but Corin was babbling, and many found themselves wishing that their garrulous Prince would choose the journey to be quiet for the first time in his life. Unfortunately for them, no such thing happened, and they spent the journey entertaining Corin.

Hours later, they arrived at their destination. It was a small house, no, not even a house. It looked like a pile of logs. The guards were puzzled. Could the King really mean for Prince Corin to stay in that shack? Even Corin was a little disappointed when he saw the condition of the house, but he kept his mouth shut. Perhaps the trip had tired him out.

Edmund dismounted and, paying no attention to the people staring at him, walked up to the door and knocked. The door was very small, and Edmund, who had always had to stoop to get in, even the first time he had been to this house eight years ago, knew that Corin's protectors probably already disapproved of the home. No matter, he thought. What they think doesn't matter. I know that Corin will be safe here. After a minute or two of waiting, he grew worried. Was no one home? Then he heard steps inside and the door swung open.

"Edmund! It's good to see you," exclaimed the person standing in the doorway. He embraced Edmund in a large hug.

"I glad to be here too, but can we go inside? I don't mean to be rude, but I've got an important favor to ask, and it isn't safe for Corin to be out in the open. Your Highness," he said turning around, but he didn't continue. Corin had his mouth wide open and his eyes opened wide. He was staring at the person who had opened the door, and there was a good reason why he should be amazed.

It was a beaver, not a man, who had greeted Edmund so warmly. Of course Corin had heard about the talking beasts of Narnia, but he had never seen one, and he couldn't quite believe his eyes. The boy couldn't speak, so he just stared as a second beaver appeared behind the first. She came out and took Corin's hand to lead him into the house. She had him sit on a three-legged stool and bustled over to the kitchen to get some tea and biscuits. When the plate was in front of Corin, he observed the food suspiciously, but it seemed all right, so he took a bite. Mm, delicious. At that moment, Edmund, who had been introducing the beaver to the guards, came in. The beaver closed the door behind them leaving the seven sentinels outside.

"Now, Edmund, will you explain what this is all about?" demanded the male beaver.

"Certainly, Mr. Beaver," replied Edmund. "You and Mrs. Beaver live in an isolated area, and I know that you are great hosts, so I would like you to shelter Prince Corin for an indefinite amount of time."

"Oh, King Edmund, do you really mean to say that I can stay here," exclaimed Corin. When Edmund nodded, Corin jumped up with joy. Then, he settled down and asked, "why am I to stay here? Why am I even in Narnia?"

"That, your Highness, is what I am about to tell you," answered Edmund gravely. "Have a seat." When the two humans and two beavers were sitting around a little table, Edmund began his story. "Your father, King Lune, has asked me to look after you, Prince. He knows from trustworthy sources that you are in danger." Corin grew pale. "Don't worry. Here, you are safe. The King said that if you are taken out of Archenland, it will be harder for the murderers to come after you, so he gave me full control over your safety. Do you understand what that means, your Highness?" Corin nodded. "You must obey everything I tell you, without question, at any time. Also, because you cannot stay at Cair Paravel, I have chosen these friends of mine, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, to host you during your stay in Narnia. Beavers, do you accept this task?"

"We do, Edmund," responded Mr. Beaver hoarsely. He was at awe of the happenings around him and a little frightened at being involved in this.

"Good. Now, Prince, you must also obey Mr. and Mrs. Beaver at all times, just as you obey me or your father. Also," he continued, turning his attention to the Beavers, "The guards will camp outside, and you don't have to provide them with anything, but to make sure you don't betray the Prince, King Lune has asked that you don't leave the house without a guard with you. Staying at all times would be better, so please try to minimize travel."

"What!" exclaimed Beaver. "We can't just stay here for who knows how long, trapped like prisoners."

"I'm sorry, and I wanted to refuse, but King Lune insists on this. Please accept." The look on Edmund's face was one that Mr. Beaver hadn't seen in a long time: one of despair and dependency.

Mrs. Beaver sighed. "All right. We'll do it. Now, Edmund, do you have to go back to the castle?"

"Yes, but I'll be back soon. Goodbye, everyone."

"Goodbye, see you soon."

Susan was at her desk, writing to a friend living in Northern Narnia. She hadn't visited in about six months, so she promised that she would find time to travel in the near future, probably after Prince Rabadash had left.

A knock resonated in the air. Susan jumped, startled. "Come in," she said, and Prince Rabadash appeared as the door swung open. He strode in briskly and bowed before Susan.

"Your Majesty."

"Good day, Your Highness. What brings you here?"

"I was wondering if I could be so bold as to request the privilege of going on a horseback riding excursion with you," said Rabadash in a manner that made it evident to Susan that he had rehearsed the speech several times. She masked her distaste with a smile, while her heart wanted to scream "No" and run out the door.

"Certainly, Your Highness," she answered pleasantly. "What time is convenient for you?"

"What about three o'clock? Unless you'd rather do it later."

"Three is fine." Susan stood and walked to the door, which she opened. "Now, I don't mean to sound rude, but I have to schedule an appointment tomorrow with the jeweler. My sister and I are to get a new necklace made."

"Yes, of course. I understand. Goodbye, Your Majesty," stammered Rabadash as he exited.

Susan sat down on her bed, appalled. How could this be possible? She had to go riding with Rabadash! The young Queen promised herself that she would do anything to avoid this meeting. Rabadash was a truly loathsome young man.


	5. Explanation and Lie (Part One)

**A/N: with final exams, I haven't had much free time, and after that I will be on vacation, so updates will be scarcer. Hopefully one per week, but I can't make promises. This next chapter is really only half of one, so it's considerably shorter. The second half will be up soon.**

**Chapter Five- Explanation and Lie (Part 1)**

Lucy had gone to the kitchen after a tedious lunch with the Prince and important dignitaries of Narnian court. There, she had found no one. Quickly and quietly, the young girl took some bread and cheese, along with fruits, vegetables, and meat. She hesitated in front of the wine cellar, but decided that it would be easy to notice missing wine. Instead, she took some tea leaves in a bag and an old kettle in the back of the pantry. She surveyed her inventory to check that nothing was missing and brought it upstairs to her room.

The next few hours went by so slowly for Lucy. She paced about her room until lunchtime, which was a bore. Then she took a walk in the garden with before setting out, a large basket in one hand and a sack in the other.

It was easy to find her way today. Lucy retraced her steps from the day before, and before long, she was back at the clearing. Jameesh, Leandra, and Dumon were waiting for her.

"Hi, Lucy," cried Dumon joyfully. Leandra waved at her and Jameesh smiled.

"Hello. I have some stuff for you." Lucy handed the basket and sack to Jameesh, who opened them, puzzled. When he realized what was inside his eyes opened wide. He handed them to Leandra, who had a similar reaction. She seemed unable to articulate.

"Thank you," Jameesh said hoarsely. The sound of his own voice seemed to rouse him, and he looked up suddenly. "Why are you doing this? You have no reason to be so nice to us."

"You are three children, alone, wandering a foreign country with no money, no shelter, nothing at all. How can anyone with even an ounce of kindness in them leave you on your own? Plus, you're… never mind." Lucy had been about to say "You're really nice and I already consider you my friends" when she remembered the second reason why she had come. Uneasiness welled up in her as she thought of the things she had to do, which she had put out of her mind until now.

"What is it, Lucy?" asked Dumon. He had noticed her bite her lip, and he was anxious to know what was troubling the girl that he thought of as perfect.

"I have to ask you something," Lucy whispered. "Can we sit down?"

Leandra motioned to a blanket set on the ground. The four children settled down. Leandra had her arm around Dumon, almost protectively. "What is it, Lucy?"

Lucy looked at the people sitting with her. Dumon was so young, so innocent, that surely he couldn't have done something like that. What about Leandra, who had so many of her characteristics, for example love of her family. Could that love make her commit a crime? And Jameesh, he would never knowingly do that, right? But could she be sure?

"Look at this." Lucy handed them a scroll that she had kept hidden in her robe until now. Jameesh took it and read the content with Leandra and Dumon looking over him. He frowned and looked up at Lucy, who was motionless, watching the scene intently.

"It's not what it seems," Jameesh said firmly.

"Then why…" Lucy was unable to finish her thought. She looked imploringly at Jameesh.

"I'll explain everything," said Jameesh. "But first you have to know this: we would never dream of murder."

"Lucy," murmured Leandra, "do you really think we'd conspire against anyone? We may be poor, but we wouldn't do that."

"I didn't want to believe that you would plan a noble's murder, but I need to be sure. Also, I want to understand why you are being blamed if you are innocent."

"Don't worry Lucy. We won't keep any secrets from you," said Jameesh. "When we were little, the three of us lived in Tashbaan, the capital of Calormen. Our father died shortly after Dumon's birth, and our mother was a servant in the Palace, so we knew our way around for as long as I can remember. Then, about a year ago, our mom died. We were left in the streets to fend for ourselves. Leandra and I did some small jobs, enough to buy food, but we always slept outside. About a month ago, there was a huge storm, far worse than any we'd ever experienced. I knew we needed safety, so we snuck into a small shed behind the Palace. We knew that it was rarely used, and no one would notice if we stayed there for the duration of the storm. We were sleeping in there when Leandra heard footsteps. We hid in a closet, and fortunately the men didn't look around much before talking. There was a small crack in the door, so I peered through. Though I was the only one to see, Dumon and Leandra heard what was said through the door as well. The men were planning the murder that we are now accused of. We had heard most of the conversation when Dumon sneezed. The men found us easily and tried to catch us. We made it out, but one of them – I don't know his name – was a highly ranked official, so he was able to put the blame of the murder on us. We fled Tashbaan, crossed the desert and Archenland, and found ourselves in Narnia. Now I suppose we have to keep going north, maybe to Ettinsmoor. There we may finally be safe..." His voice trailed off and he fell silent.

Leandra had listened to the description of their story silently and without making a sound. Though she had just met Lucy, she wanted to be friends with her and thought she was just the type of girl who would be good to talk to and ask for advice. Leandra had never had a close friend before, and she ardently hoped that she and Lucy would become just that. When she looked into Lucy's eyes, Leandra saw something she wouldn't expect. She saw compassion. This fact encouraged Leandra that Jameesh had spoken powerfully enough to make Lucy understand their hardships. She pushed her hair back with her hand, and when her fingers touched her cheeks, she realized they were wet. The speech had made her silently cry. She looked around and her gaze met Dumon's. She begged him with her eyes not to comment on the narration.

"I… I'm so sorry," stammered Lucy. Leandra saw that she spoke earnestly, and she smiled warmly at the young Queen. Lucy smiled back and continued. "I completely understand, and I won't bring it up again, but… but you guys can't leave. Please, stay hidden here, and I will help you get food, clothes, and anything else you may need. Please, don't leave me," she repeated.

"You're right," said Leandra, glad to be able to stay so close to Lucy. "It's no use to keep moving. People will be looking for us everywhere, so where we are doesn't matter. Plus, Lucy can help us get away if anyone searching for us comes in the area, or give them a false lead somewhere else. Also," she added, turning to Lucy. "You're the first person to have been nice to us in a long time, and I think we all want and need a friend."

"I agree," exclaimed Dumon. "Let's stay here."

"Jameesh?" Lucy knew the older boy had all the authority, and if he wanted to go, there was nothing she could do to keep them.

"I suppose… I suppose we could stay, at least for a little while." Jameesh was hesitant, but then again, he had no better plan to propose.

"Great! I'm so happy! I really enjoy spending time with you guys."

"Do you want to stay the afternoon, or go back?" asked Leandra.

"Um, I think I should head off. My brother is supposed to come back sometime today, and I want to be there to greet him. Is that all right?"

"Yes, we understand. Come back whenever you want, and we'll be here."

"Thanks." Lucy hugged each one in turn, then disappeared into the woods, back to her life as a Queen of Narnia.


	6. Explanation and Lie (Part 2)

**A/N: I know this chapter is short and nothing important really happens. Which is why I'm also posting chapter 6 today (be happy) Exams are over (sigh of relief) but I am going on vacation... without my computer. So although I will write, it will be by hand and I can't post for the next week. Thank you again to those who review/favorite/follow the story, and if you like it, keep letting me know!**

**Chapter Five- Explanation and Lie (Part 2)**

Edmund had come back. While Lucy was obtaining explanations and Susan was receiving an unwanted invitation, he had ridden into the castle, alone and unceremoniously. After giving his horse to a steward, he went directly upstairs to his room. There he sat on his bed and put his head in his hands. Things had changed so fast in the last day that he still couldn't process what he needed to do. For a second, doubt stirred him. He couldn't stay with Corin all the time, so how could he protect the young boy? It was a lost cause, thought Edmund.

These thoughts had only haunted him for a second when he shook them off and stood up. Lune had trusted him to care for his son's life. He knew that his friend would never do so lightly because Corin's twin had been kidnapped when they were babies. The baby hadn't been found, and it was assumed that he had died. Pity for his friend engulfed him, and he sighed. If only he and Peter had known Lune, maybe they could have helped him. His absence at his friend's side during this crucial time was something for which Edmund would never forgive himself.

The young King headed out of his room, through corridors where people bowed or curtseyed to him as he passed them, and into another wing of Cair Paravel. He knocked at the door, and, without waiting for an answer, opened it and walked in. Coming into the room from her bedroom beyond it was Susan. Her face lit up when she saw her brother, and she rushed toward him to hug him.

"Edmund, you're back!" she cried out in joy.

"Hello, Susan," he responded as he returned her hug.

"How long have you been here?"

"I just arrived. My first visit was to you." Edmund let Susan take his hand and lead him to the couch, where they sat next to each other. He saw a pained expression in her face, which worried him. "Are you all right, Su? You don't look good."

She smiled. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking. It's just that Prince Rabadash arrived this morning and I spent most of the evening last night preparing for him. I'm tired out." She noticed that her brother scrutinized her face, looking for additional information, so she changed the subject. "What did King Lune want?"

"Oh, he was asking for help to solve a financial issue that could have become detrimental to Archenland's economy, had it not been treated properly."

"Were you able to give them the advice they needed?"

"Susan, do you doubt my skill?" Edmund replied with a laugh.

"I suppose now you want to see Lucy and Peter, and greet Prince Rabadash."

"I agree with half of what you said, but Su, do you honestly think I want to be with Rabadash?"

Susan smiled. Her family, and many citizens of Narnia, shared her opinion about the Prince. "Let's go," she said to her brother, and the pair set off down the hall to Lucy's room.

Their sister opened the door, and Susan saw very briefly a solemn expression with a hint of fear. However, when Lucy saw her brother, her face lit up and she smiled brightly. She rushed forward to hug him, nearly knocking him over.

"Edmund, you're back!" Susan smiled as she heard her sister say the very words she had upon seeing her brother again.

"Hello, Lucy. It's good to see you. Have you enjoyed Rabadash's company?"

Lucy's smile faded. "No, he's horrid. I want him to leave quickly so we don't have to suffer with him for very long." She paused. "You know, I'll try to spend as long as possible out of Cair Paravel, maybe go for some long walks, so that I don't have to be with him."

"Yes, well, you're lucky," said Edmund. "Because you're so young, he probably won't want to be with you much. Peter, Susan, and I will have to keep him company all the time. Especially Susan…" Susan opened her mouth to protest and ask what Edmund meant, but before she could complain, a joyful voice rang out.

"Edmund!"

Edmund turned around and saw Peter. He forced himself to smile as returned the greeting and walked over to his brother to shake hands with him.

"Edmund, I'll let you get unpacked and settled, but can you come to my office in an hour? There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Of course, Peter, I'll be there."

"Great. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some work to finish up."

Susan looked at the clock. "Lucy, we have to go for tea with Lady Sylvia. You should get ready while I call the carriage."

"Right," Lucy replied. "See you later, Edmund."

"Bye, Lucy."


	7. Braving the Past

**A/N: Here's chapter 6. It has a deep emotional moment in it I loved writing. If you enjoy, please review!**

**Chapter Six- Braving the Past**

Susan had called for the carriage, and she waited for Lucy. Her sister was running late, so Susan went back inside to find her. She could have asked a servant to fetch Lucy, but Susan disliked working servants too hard, and she always tried to call on them as little as possible.

The wing that the two girls lived in was in the back of the castle, and to get there, Susan had to cross the office section, where the four sovereigns and certain very important nobles had an office. As she passed by Peter's office, she saw through the slightly open door her brother scribbling on a piece of parchment. _Maybe he can help me get rid of Rabadash_, she thought. She knocked on the door and entered the room.

The first thing Susan felt inside the office was warmth. A huge fire was burning in the hearth, making it warm, yet not uncomfortable. An orange glow shone in the room, bathing every corner of it in its light. Susan felt safe in this office, which was small compared to many rooms in Cair Paravel, but by the standards of any other building was immense. The previous day, it had taken her great courage to share her feelings, even with her brother, and today she hoped that this security that she felt would empower her to ask for help. Susan was pretty, smart, and well-liked, but one of her faults was pride: she felt too proud to ask for help or show insecurity, so she often hid these emotions behind a mask of happiness and calmness. Today, maybe she could begin to cure herself of this fault.

"Hello, Susan," Peter greeted her as she came in. "What bring you here?"

"Peter, I've got a favor to ask you." Susan paused. The words felt so odd in her mouth, yet she had started, so now there was no going back.

"Yes, what is it?" Peter had noticed Susan's discomfort and tried to encourage her. "I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"Earlier today, I received a visit from Prince Rabadash." Now that the first words of her story were out, Susan felt more at ease and as she continued, her tone was more assured. "He invited me to go horseback riding with him tomorrow afternoon. Out of politeness, I said yes, but now I am dreading tomorrow for I loathe the Prince, and being alone with him for a few hours is above my abilities. Tea with him, or a feast, is one thing because there are so many other people. This would truly be torture for me, and I was hoping that you could plan an activity to distract him so that our plans may be either postponed or cancelled. Can you?"

When Susan had begun, Peter had seen uncertainty in her eyes. He could hardly remember that expression, and he thought the last time he'd seen it was when they had first entered Narnia, but then again who wouldn't feel insecure after being thrust into another world? Now he understood her dilemma. It must have taken great courage for her to speak so frankly, and Peter couldn't help but feel proud of his sister, his little sister who had grown up as quickly as he but was nonetheless his little sister. Peter felt a tinge of guilt. He took care of Edmund and Lucy, especially Lucy, much more than Susan, but now he realized that Susan needed the support of an older family member as much as they did. Susan was an actress, he decided, but now he would go past the obvious and help her when he could.

"Su, I completely understand you," he said. "Let's see what I can do to distract him… Oh, oh I've got it! Edmund and I, along with a handful of Lords, will go hunting. He knows hunting is considered the "royal pastime" and that he can't refuse without appearing to be very uncivilized."

"That's what he is."

"Yes, yes, I know, but he wants to put on a show of being better than he is," Peter replied. He noticed that Susan still looked glum. "Don't worry, Su. I'll get you out of it."

"Out of what?"

Susan turned around. Edmund had just come in. He had changed into clean clothes, making him look older and more mature than he had an hour ago. She blushed, wondering how much of the conversation he had overheard, and she asked herself if she should tell him as well. Before she made up her mind, Peter answered.

"Su has been invited to horseback riding by Rabadash, so at that same time, we'll invite him to go hunting. That way Su won't have to go."

Edmund nodded. "All right. Now, Peter, you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes. Susan, do you mind?"

"Not at all. I have to get Lucy for tea anyways." She exited quickly and the brothers were left alone.

"Have a seat." They sat at opposite sides of the desk.

"Are you all right, Peter?" asked Edmund.

"I will be. There's… there's something I have to tell you." Now Peter understood why Susan struggled with this. The situations were different, but the idea remained similar: to trust another person enough to tell them your own thoughts and feelings. "Well, first I want to apologize. I'm sorry about yesterday, what happened in Council. I overreacted."

Edmund smiled. "It's okay. I was wrong as well, but I couldn't pluck up the courage to tell you I was sorry. Do you want to just put this behind us."

"Yes, but I propose that we make a pact not to argue anymore. We're brothers, and we need to work together and show each other that we love each other. Agreed?"

"Agreed." The two boys remained silent for a little. Edmund had his head down and was staring at the ground. He suddenly raised it and said aloud words he had thought to himself countless times. "I miss him."

Stunned, Peter stared into his brother's eyes. There, he saw the same sadness that he so often felt when thinking about this man.

"I do too," he answered. "He taught me so much, guided me in my early decisions, and acted like a true friend to me."

"Not only that, but he rode alongside you in your first battle. He was brave, and devoted to his cause even to the point of death. He…" Edmund's voice died. The emotion of bringing back these memories hurt him and brought tears to his eyes. He tried to continue, but found that he couldn't speak.

"Oh, Oreius," Peter whispered. He thought back to the day he had learned this unfortunate event. It was roughly a month ago. Oreius had led an expedition into the Western Wild. The expedition was gloomy the day they returned. They announced that Oreius had been killed during a small battle against the wild beasts living there. It had been sad news for everyone, but Peter and Edmund had been especially affected because they were so close to the centaur.

Weeping can relieve pain and let out feelings when nothing else works. Peter had never wept for Oreius. Instead, he'd kept the pain deep inside him, and it had never left him. He thought that Edmund would probably also have kept himself from crying, so the same emotion is still buried in him. Any mention of Oreius, however, was more painful to them than to anyone else. _We need each other for support to heal our pain_, he thought. He looked at his brother, whose head was down. It was clear that he was crying, letting out all the sadness he'd been feeling. Peter stood, walked around the table, and hugged his brother. Edmund returned the hug and they stayed there, enduring their hurt, together. Finally Edmund stood.

"Oreius wouldn't have wanted us to spend our life mourning him. Ever since he met us, his goal has been to make sure we can help Narnia. He taught us everything he knows about war and fighting strategies. Now, it's up to us to make his memory live on, not by weeping and getting emotional every time he's mentioned, but by working for peace, happiness, and justice in Narnia, a cause he whole-heartedly believed in. After all, he died fighting for Narnia's protection, to prevent a war in the future with the creatures in the west." Edmund had started by whispering, but now his voice was loud and clear, as he spoke words he strongly believed in. Peter looked his brother in the eyes and saw a fierce determination that had never been there before. _My little brother is a man_, he thought.

"You're right, Ed," he answered. "We must do what is right, no matter what the price."

That evening, Prince Rabadash was late to dinner. By politeness, everyone waited for him. Five, ten, fifteen minutes went by and no sign of the Calormen Prince. Peter was just about to say the usual blessing to Aslan, after which everyone is free to eat, when the double doors of the dining room opened and a valet announced the Prince.

"Your Highness, good evening," said Peter, trying to sound friendly. One glance at Edmund told him he had succeeded. The two had decided that Prince Rabadash would be their first "test" to do what is right. Narnia needed to be on good terms with Calormen, for they were too strong to fight against.

"Thank you, your Majesty. This castle is very nice, though of course it cannot match our palace in Tashbaan," answered Rabadash. As he sat down, he smiled at Susan, who made a little half-smile in return. _She is uneasy in front of all these people, yet she still responded to me_, he thought.

Lucy was unfortunately sitting next to Rabadash, and when he greeted her nicely, she made an effort to seem gracious. Then she turned her attention to her plate, hoping he wouldn't attempt to converse with her.

"Your Highness," she heard Peter say. "I would be honored if you joined me and my royal brother tomorrow for a hunting expedition. We are looking forward to an afternoon spent with you, and it would give us a chance to know each other better."

Rabadash hesitated before answering. _Why would he_, thought Lucy, _he's almost obligated to say yes_. Puzzled, she looked around and saw that both Edmund and Susan were watching Rabadash's face with great attention. _What are they hiding from me_, she thought.

"Your Majesty, I am honored, but I was supposed to go horseback riding with her Majesty Queen Susan tomorrow, and I don't wish to be impolite to her."

"Oh," said Susan. "Please, I completely understand that you want to accept this new invitation. Don't worry, I will not take it personally that you wish to spend time with my royal brothers rather than myself. After all, who can refuse such an honor?"

"Well then, since her Majesty sees no inconvenient to it, tomorrow at two, we shall go hunting," Peter announced before Rabadash had had a chance to respond to Susan. I am honored to have an entire afternoon in your company."

"Um, yes," was all Rabadash could answer. He sighed. There was no use in trying to protest. It may be taken as an insult by his hosts, the Northern Barbarians as they were called at home. His stay in the savage land of Narnia would be over soon, he hoped, with his one goal achieved. This incident brought him just a little farther from accomplishing it, but no matter. It would happen, eventually. _Patience_, he told himself. _Patience will give me my heart's desire_.


	8. First Problem

**A/N: I have regained access to my computer :) So here's a new chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Seven- First Problem**

Days, then weeks, passed with no notable events. Peter visited Kiara almost every day, at least every other day. Every time he saw her, he found her more beautiful, more funny, more kind than the time before. Every time he left her, it pained him to say goodbye, even though he knew he would see her again soon. When he was working in his office, he would often daydream of Kiara, and as he did, he subconsciously doodled her name. Multiple drafts, letters, or important papers had to be started over because of Peter's writing in the margin. A small part of him said, you're in love with her, but he could never bring himself to say those words to her. However, he dreaded the day that Kiara and her father, whom he had never met, would have to leave, to go to another place for trade.

Edmund had, that day in Council, promised himself to learn what Peter was up to. He kept on observing him, but never dared to follow him to wherever he went many afternoons because of the promise they had made. However, Edmund inferred from what he could see that Peter was in love. He wished he could meet the girl who had apparently taken his brother's heart.

However, Edmund did not have much spare time anymore. Whenever he had two or three hours of free time, he rode over to the Beavers' house to check on Corin. Two hours, however, only gave him half an hour at most to spend with the Prince because of the travel time. At least, thought Edmund, Corin is happy. The boy was indeed extremely happy. The house was so different from Anvard and any other place he'd been to, and because the area was secluded, he got to go outside for one hour a day. Of course, he had asked for two, but King Edmund had refused. One, he said, is plenty. Edmund was glad of his decision to bring Corin to Beaversdam. He told the Beavers that Corin couldn't have a better home for his stay.

Lucy also made many secret trips. Every day, with no exception, she was able to find an hour or more to use according to her will. Currently, she spent all of it in the woods with her Calormen friends. She and Leandra had become as close as sisters, and they spent hours chatting together without stopping. Neither spoke that much at other times, but together, the girls felt that they could talk about anything, so they confided many things to each other. Dumon also liked Lucy's visits because she played all of his games with him. Leandra and Jameesh had outgrown what Dumon found extremely entertaining, and Lucy could go back to childhood with him, to games that she had loved before. After her coronation, she had had no one to play these games with, so now she went back to them happily, though Jameesh and Leandra couldn't understand why she chose to play what they called "children's games".

Perhaps because she had no secrets of her own to hide, Susan was the one to notice most of her siblings' mysterious comings and goings. She had tried to open conversation with them to lead them to reveal where they were always going, but with no success. This made her feel alone, and the little bit of progress she had made of opening up faded gradually. Susan's life was uneventful during these few weeks, except for one thing; Prince Rabadash pestered her to do various activities with him. She found excuses most times, but occasionally, Susan had no choice but to accept his invitation. Sadly, she often thought that Rabadash was the only person who currently wanted to be with her. Her brothers and sister seemed to be ignoring her, and that was very painful to Susan. _I'm invisible_, she thought, _and I wish something could happen to change that_.

One day, Peter walked over to a meeting spot, chosen by him and Kiara, right outside the village. The latter was not present. Peter sat down on a tree stump and waited patiently, assuming that Kiara was held up. Time ticked by, and the Galman girl was nowhere to be found. Peter tapped his foot with irritation. Where was she? He stood up to go into the village and find Kiara when she appeared, disheveled and out of breath. She ran over to Peter and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. He awkwardly hugged her until her cries lessened a little.

"Kiara, are you all right?" he asked.

Kiara backed up a few steps to look Peter in the eyes; then, she took his hand in hers. "Oh, Peter, I have horrid news."

"What is it?"

"My… my… my father and I are moving." The line felt like a slap in the face to Peter. He staggered backwards and sat down on the little tree stump. This can't be true, he thought, yet one look at Kiara assured him that it was.

Kiara sat down next to Peter. "Back to Galma, for Father's cloth trade. He's done all he needs to here. Peter, I don't want to leave you," she added softly.

"I don't want to, I can't, lose you," he answered, and he said the words he had been afraid of before. "I love you."

"I… I love you too," Kiara answered. "The way I feel with you, I've never felt like that before."

The pair fell silent. Peter had Kiara's hand clasped in his, and he felt it tremble very slightly.

"Kiara," he said, "I can only think of one way for us to stay together. It's… it's something that you may not agree to, and I respect that, but I need to ask. Will you marry me?"

Kiara was dumbstruck for a second, caught unexpected by this question. "Oh, Peter," she whispered.

"Yes, I know we're young, I know marriage is a serious commitment that we may not be ready for, but I also know that I love you. I love you enough to know that even if this hadn't happened, I would ask you to marry me someday. I'm not forcing you to do anything, Kiara. Make your own choice, but know that my love for you is undying."

"Peter," Kiara began slowly, "I love you too, but…" When he heard that word, Peter's heart sank. 'But not enough to marry you,' he assumed she'd say. As Kiara opened her mouth to continue, he braced himself for disappointment. What he heard was startling. "I don't know if my father will agree to let us get married."

"What! You… you want to?"

"Of course I do."

"In that case, let's go speak with your father right now," Peter said, exalted.

"Wait, now?"

"Yes, now. I can't stand not knowing what he'll say."

Peter took Kiara's hand and led her through the village to her house. Of the people they passed, only a handful recognized Peter as the King, but those who did stopped, stared, and whispered to those near them, "King Peter, it's King Peter with Kiara!" By the time the pair reached Kiara's house, townspeople had gathered around it, whispering and pointing. Kiara felt embarrassed by all the attention, but Peter, being used to it, took no notice of the crowd. He marched up to Kiara's door and knocked loudly. While waiting for the door to open, he turned around to face the multitude.

"Good people," he said loudly, "I would be very grateful if you could back off the grass into the street. Kiara and I have important matters to discuss with her father, and I would appreciate a little privacy." Peter had such a stern look in his face that everyone backed up without question. When the crowd was far enough away, he turned back toward the house just as the door opened to reveal Kiara's father, Charles Butler.

"What is this? Who are you?" Mr. Butler was puzzled at seeing his daughter with a stranger (he didn't recognize Peter) and a huge crowd on the street.

"Father, may we come in? I'll explain who this is when we're inside." Without waiting for a response, she took Peter's hand and dragged him inside. Through a door to the right of the entrance they went, into the living room. Kiara drew the blinds, plunging the room into darkness and privacy, and then she turned on a lamp.

Mr. Butler, still very startled, sat down in an armchair. Kiara and Peter sat by him on a couch. Kiara noticed how suspiciously her father looked at Peter, and she smiled to lighten the mood.

"Father, I'd like you to meet Peter, or should I say High King Peter," she began.

Butler's eyes opened wide. "What! The King, here."

"Yes, sir," said Peter. "Kiara has told me a lot about you, and I wanted to meet the man who raised Kiara so well."

"Wait a minute. How do you know him, Kiara?"

"We met one day as I was touring Cair Paravel, Peter's castle."

"Sir," Peter interrupted, not wanting to stray from the point of their visit. "Kiara and I have something to ask you."

"What? Tell me."

Peter took one look at Kiara, in which she gave him silent encouragement to say his next few words. "I would like to ask your permission to marry Kiara."

Butler was stunned. He had not expected that. His face took on a stern, fierce expression as he answered, "Sire, why do you believe I would let my daughter marry you, or anyone for that matter?"

"Well, sir, I love Kiara. She is beautiful, smart, funny, and has so many other indescribable qualities. Any man would be lucky to feel her love, and I am apparently the lucky one that she loves in return."

"Please, Father," added Kiara, "everything he said is true. We love each other."

"Kiara, I'd like to speak with you alone," Butler said.

The pair stood and exited into the hallway.

"Kiara, you are too young to marry," started Butler.

"Father, I'm eighteen years old. It's time for me to become independent."

"Not only that, that, that Peter boy…"

"He's not a boy! He's a man. Father, what do you have against him?"

"Just by looking at him, I can tell he's a stuck-up, selfish boy who uses his power as King to do anything he wants to, and…"

"Stop! Stop, Father, don't insult him like that. That's not who he is. He is the kindest, most caring, gentlemanly person I've ever met."

"Kiara," said Butler, his voice much softer, "I don't want you to stay here, in Narnia. I don't want you to be so far from me. I don't want to lose you as I lost your mother."

"Father," answered Kiara, her voice half choked, "Mum died years ago. I know you miss her, and I do to, but she would want us to move on, and keep on moving. She wants us to be happy, and because you still miss her so much, you must know that one is only happy with his or her true love. I love Peter just as you love Mum. Don't take him away from me, put me in the pain that you have gone through, that you find so unbearable. Please." Kiara could continue, and she breathed heavily as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I will not allow you to ruin your life with him. Right now, you think you're in love, but you'll find that it's only because you have never liked a boy before. Believe me, later you'll thank me."

Butler opened the door to the living room. "Get out of here," he told Peter. "Don't ever get near my daughter again."

Peter understood the failure of the operation. As he headed to the door, Butler could read no emotion from his face. Before stepping outside, Peter nodded at the Butlers.

"Good day, sir," he said. He had no words for Kiara, but the look he gave her before closing the door assured her of his love for her.

Just as Peter closed the door, Kiara whispered, softly enough for her father not to hear, "I love you."


	9. Unexpected Events

**A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Eight- Unexpected Events**

Susan was in her room with Edmund and Lucy. The two girls were taking turns braiding each other's hair, and Susan had almost finished a series of small braids, about ten or twelve or them. Edmund, who was uninterested in hairdos, was lying on the bed next to them, playing a Narnian game similar to Solitaire.

"So, Susan, have you heard any further news about the Calormen outlaws?" asked Edmund.

Lucy jolted slightly. Susan noticed and frowned at Edmund.

"Ed, don't talk about this in front of Lucy," she said sternly.

"Why not? Su, you've got to stop treating Lucy like she's a little girl. She's not anymore. She's a Queen, and she has to know about what's happening in her kingdom. Right, Lu?"

Lucy looked up at Edmund. "Yes, Su, Edmund is right. I'm not the child I was when I first came here. I just… I think these Calormens are being judged by us without any idea about who they are."

"Lu," interrupted Edmund, "they're criminals. They attempted a murder."

"I know we've been told that, but what puzzles me is that we don't really get along with Calormen. Why is it that now, they tell us, 'these people are murderers' and we just believe them and try to find them to hand them over to the Calormen government? Edmund, which is the right side? How do we know that the Tisroc is in the right and the so-called 'outlaws' are in the wrong?"

Edmund paused before answering, remembering when, eight years ago, he had said almost the same thing to Peter as they followed Mr. Beaver to his dam. He had been hiding something then; was Lucy now?

"Susan, you haven't answered my question," said Edmund.

"All right, if you insist. I've heard that the Calormens have come north. If they are in Narnia yet, I cannot say, but everyone is on the lookout for them. Peter has just set out a search party to locate them; hopefully they will be caught."

"Su," said Lucy, "do you know where in Narnia they are? I mean… are they still in the Southern March, or have they come up, um, in the area around here?"

Susan smiled at Lucy. Her sister was scared, she supposed, and she wanted to be comforted. "Don't worry, Lu. I can't be sure, but I'm guessing they're in the South, and before they can make their way to Cair Paravel, they will be caught. In any case, do you think they would choose to travel by the capital and largest city of Narnia? No, they will take the back roads, travel in the woods, and stay away from all civilization."

"Oh, of course," said Lucy, looking very relieved. "Have all the soldiers gone to find them, or are some still here?"

"I believe there are only a handful of soldiers left, just enough to ensure the protection of Cair Paravel," answered Edmund.

Lucy nodded. Neither she nor the others had any more to say on that topic, so Susan went back to braiding Lucy's hair in silence. To break the quiet, Edmund started conversation.

"Lu, your hair looks extremely nice. All the other ladies who see you will feel their hairdos be put to shame when compared to yours."

"Thank you, Ed, but you really should compliment Susan, who is patient enough to braid my long, thick hair. Plus, it's almost constantly knotted. Oh, I don't know how you manage to make it look so nice, Su."

"It's easy once you get the hang of it. I could teach you, Lu."

"Yes, thank you! Ed, because you seem to think this hairstyle looks so nice, maybe you'd like it if Su taught you at the same time as me."

"No, I think I'll pass," answered Edmund with a laugh. Susan and Lucy joined in with him, and when they tried, all three of them found that it was impossible to stop the giggling.

Suddenly, the siblings heard a knock on the door. "Come in," said Susan as her siblings made an effort to compose themselves.

Prince Rabadash entered. When he saw Susan with Edmund and Lucy, he frowned slightly. Those children always seem to be around when I have important business to do, he thought, and as he looked at them, he couldn't help but think "they are unworthy of being a King and Queen." All this he kept in his head, and on the outside, Rabadash was smiling and seemed very pleasant indeed.

"Oh, your Highness, how nice of you to drop in," said Susan with a forced smile. "Is there anything you seek by coming here?"

"Um, yes, well…" Rabadash glanced at Edmund and Lucy. Susan understood.

"Ed, Lu, you'd best be off. You probably have something else you should be doing," she said. Her brother and sister got up, wished goodbye to the Prince, and exited.

"So, what is it you wanted?" asked Susan after the door had closed behind the two younger children.

Rabadash opened his mouth, then closed it as if he was unsure of what to say. "Well, I would appreciate it if you would come for a walk with me tomorrow," he finally began. "What about at ten, just after breakfast?"

Susan sighed. _Not again_, she thought, _now I have no excuse for not going_. She paused for a second before answering, "that would be fine. Ten it is." She glanced at her watch. "Oh, I'm sorry, your Highness, but I have an appointment soon I cannot miss. Please do not be offended if I ask you to leave."

"All right, that's fine. See you tomorrow."

As soon as Rabadash was out of the room, Susan sat on the bed and shook her head. _Why does it have to be me?_ she asked herself.

Peter was in a bad mood. The one he loved, the one he needed by his side was being taken away from him. _I need to stop her from leaving_, he thought. An idea trickled into his mind, but he pushed it away. Doing that would go against all the principles of Kingship he knew. It would be lying for his personal happiness, it would be cowardly, and it would be downright wrong.

Peter reached for a bell to ring up a servant. "No," he muttered, jerking his hand away. "I can't." Still the bell seemed to taunt him, saying 'I can solve your dilemma, just ring me.' Peter clenched his fists. A battle was waging inside of him, but when he pictured Kiara as he had last seen her, with tears in her eyes, he felt that he couldn't let her go. His conscience had failed. He rang the bell.

Less than a minute later, a maid entered his room. "Your Majesty," she said as she curtseyed.

"Fetch Sir Herwin. Tell him it is a matter of extreme importance." Herwin was the man in charge of the police force that had remained at Cair Paravel.

"Yes, your Majesty," responded the maid. She curtseyed again and left.

Before long, Herwin knocked on the door.

"Come in, Sir," said Peter. "I have some important information pertaining to the outlaws."

Herwin's eyes opened wide. "Has your Majesty any idea about where they are?"

"No, but I have been told where they are headed." Peter paused. Herwin assumed that was for effect, but really it was because Peter knew that the next few words he spoke would haunt him as the ones that turned him into a liar.

"Where, Sire?" asked Herwin.

"They want to leave Narnia because of all the police looking for them here. They know it is only a matter of time before they get caught if they stay here, so they will make their way to port and leave by boat. Their chosen port is the one that would be least suspected: Cair Paravel's port."

"Sire, forgive me, but may I ask how your Majesty knows of these doings?"

"I have been told by a trustworthy source who has begged me to remain unnamed. The point is, I would like you to guard the ports. Don't let anyone leave until further notice. Understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"You may go," said Peter, with a tone showing that no more was to be said on that subject.

Kiara and Mr. Butler were leaving their house. They had bid farewell to their neighbors, and now both were on the street walking to the port to leave. Kiara kept glancing at Cair Paravel, wondering where Peter was, what he was doing, and if by any chance he would go to the quay to see her off. Any additional time spent with Peter would be comfort for Kiara.

The pair neared the port. Peter was not there. Kiara's hopes of seeing the man she loved one more time were destroyed. Mr. Butler seemed to have been thinking of the same possibility as his daughter, because when he surveyed the port and more importantly, those on it, he grinned.

The Butlers' boat was moored on the end of the quay. Mr. Butler began loading the supplies, but was interrupted when a man wearing the Narnian soldier uniform came up to him.

"Excuse me, sir, but where are you going?" the man asked, frowning.

"Why, my daughter and I are traders. We have been in Narnia for a few months, and now we are heading home, to Galma," answered Butler, slightly annoyed. This man had no business bothering him at this time.

"I'm sorry, sir, but that's impossible," retorted the man.

"What do you mean, impossible?" Butler was about to lose his temper; Kiara could feel it.

"By order of the High King Peter, because the Calormen outlaws who are roaming Narnia want to leave the country by boat, the port is closed for now. I'm sorry, sir. You look like an honest man, but I cannot make an exception. You may not leave."

"Look here, I have no intention of staying. I will march over to the castle right now and give the King a piece of my mind if you don't let us go."

"Father, don't…" started Kiara.

"Silence! I know what you're thinking; you're thrilled that very conveniently the ports are closed by the King when I need to get you out of this country."

"Captain," cried a second man running toward the trio. The first man turned around.

"What is it? I'm busy now."

"Captain, High King Peter is here. He wishes to speak with you."

"Ah," exclaimed Butler, "I will go talk to him. Sir, let me pass, I have to get to the King."

"No, sir, stay here. I will speak to his Majesty about you, but I make no promises that you will be allowed through."

"Just let me through…"

"What is going on here?"

Everyone turned around, startled by this voice. Kiara's heart leapt. It was… it was Peter. She wanted to run into his arms, but her father, sensing this, took hold of her wrist firmly.

"Sir, miss," started Peter, nodding at Mr. Butler and Kiara, though he took care not to make eye contact with her. "My apologies for this inconvenience, but I was incorrect with my belief that the Calormens were to try to make their way out through here. There is now no need to keep the ships here, and you are free to go."

"Ah, thank you," said Butler, obviously satisfied. "Come on, Kiara."

Kiara was too stunned to protest as her father dragged her and the rest of their belongings onto the boat. The only thing she saw was Peter walk away without even glancing at her. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw him walk up the small path to Cair Paravel.


	10. Revelation

**A/N: Here's another chapter, thanks for being patient during the wait. One of my favorite Peter moments is in here, as well as a small part about Edmund that I just love, even though it isn't really important as far as the story goes. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Chapter Nine- Revelation**

Now, logically, you would be confused as to Peter's actions at the end of the previous chapter. He did something that hurt him deeply, of course, because of his love for Kiara, and meant that they had little hope of seeing each other again. The reason for this needs to be explained.

As you remember, Peter had instructed Herwin to prevent all ships from leaving Cair Paravel's quay. The reason had been purely selfish and the reason made up. Peter had no clue as to where the Calormen outlaws may be.

After this instruction, the most difficult he had ever given, Peter retreated to his office, hoping to push away the thoughts that swirled in his mind by immersing himself in work. Unfortunately for him, this didn't work, and Peter put down his quill in exasperation. He put his head between his hands and wished for the millionth time that day that he could confide in Susan or Edmund. Susan would understand, and she would keep a cool head and be able to help him see things clearly. Edmund would hopefully understand how he felt about Kiara (a few summers ago, Edmund had met a very beautiful girl and dated her for a few months. Unfortunately, she had dumped him, and at the time right after the breakup Edmund had been sad and silent. Susan said it was natural; his heart had been broken by a girl he truly loved.), and maybe he could help Peter figure out if he loved her enough to marry her, to spend his life by her side. Thinking of his siblings made Peter sad, and he stood up to go see them, determined to tell them the truth, when in front of him there was a huge flash, and Aslan, the mighty Lion, appeared.

"Peter, Son of Adam," he said in a deep growl, "you have made a mistake."

Peter fell on his knees before Aslan. "Aslan, I… I love Kiara. You know everything, so you must know that. You must also know that everything I did was solely to keep her in Narnia."

"Yes, I know, but that changes nothing. Your actions were wrong, Son of Adam, and unfit for the lowest peasant in this world, let alone for a High King."

"I'm sorry, Aslan. Please, let me make up for it."

"You cannot. If you were meant to be with Kiara, even if you had let her go, she would have come to you in some way."

"Oh, Aslan, do you mean that I destroyed my chances of being with her? That if I had let her go, she would eventually returned to Narnia, or I could have gone to Galma to get her?"

"Peter, we can never know what would have happened."

"Please, Aslan, if I tell Herwin to let them go, that I was wrong, may I have a second chance?"

"A second chance! Peter, you are a King. Tell me, if a man was brought to you convicted of treason and he told you that without the money the other country gave him, he wouldn't have had enough to survive, so he asked for a second chance, would you give it to him?"

Peter hung his head. He knew exactly what he would do. "I wouldn't. I would convict him and punish him."

"Yes, you would, so why should you be given a second chance?"

Peter suddenly jerked his head up, eyes shining. "You said… that I couldn't be _given_ another chance. So can I do something to earn it? Please, tell me what I must do to be forgiven, to be able to sit on the throne again without feeling like a coward, like someone who doesn't belong here. Whatever it takes, I will do it."

"Are you sure, Son of Adam? Are you sure you will not regret having to do what I will ask?"

"No, I won't. You could ask me to say what I've done to my siblings, to Council or to all of Narnia, I will not regret it."

"Here is what I ask: you must let Kiara go. You must go to the port and tell your men to cancel the order they were given earlier and to let Kiara and her father return to their own country."

Peter went pale. "Is…isn't there anything else I can do to earn pardon?"

Aslan shook his head.

"Please," he asked again, his voice barely above a whisper, "I'll do anything else. Just… I can't let Kiara go. I would never see her again."

"Peter, what did I tell you before? If you had let things go, you would have found her if you two are meant to be. Now, you must trust and hope that even with your meddling, things will work out. I will help you, but it will be harder, and you will influence many around you, though whether it is in a good or a bad way, I cannot say. So, do you agree?"

Peter eventually nodded. "I'll do it," he answered hoarsely.

Edmund had just returned from an overnight visit to Prince Corin and the Beavers. He was worried because Mr. Beaver had told him secretly that in the middle of the night, he'd heard voices whispering outside. When he ventured out to see what was happening, he saw a glimpse of three figures in the woods, taking cover behind the trees. "The outlaws are in these woods, Edmund," Beaver had said. "You can be sure of that, and they're coming for the Prince." These words ran in Edmund's mind, and he wished he could stay back and protect Corin, but of course that was impossible.

While Edmund was putting his horse back in the stable and thinking of Corin, a maid approached him. She handed him a slip of paper, not sealed and evidently written and folded very quickly. He opened it slowly and read the following:

_Edmund,_

_Please come to my room as soon as you receive this._

_I have something very important to tell you and the girls, both of whom are also on their way._

_Be quick._

_Peter_

Edmund was stunned. What could this important thing be? Peter knew nothing that he didn't… except… Edmund remembered all those times that Peter had gone off, alone, and returned hours later without saying where he had gone. _That's it_, he thought. _I'm going to learn what Peter has been doing_.

He immediately gave his horse to a stable boy and set off to Peter's room. As he was walking, he saw Lucy.

"Lu," he called. She stopped and waited for him to catch up.

"You got Peter's note too." She said it as a statement, not a question, but Edmund nodded anyways. "I wonder what it's about."

"I have my guess," said Edmund slyly.

"What do you think?" When he didn't respond, Lucy added, "Ed, please. I'm dying to know."

"Can't tell you in case I'm wrong," said Edmund. Lucy pouted, but Edmund wouldn't give in, she knew that.

Very soon, the pair reached the High King's room. Of everything in Cair Paravel, it was probably the most stunning sight. The large door was carved by the most skilled fauns, who are very good at designs, especially in wood, and some of it was gilded by a thin sheet of shimmering gold. The sight of it always took Lucy's breath away, even though now she'd walked past it or through it countless times in her years at Cair Paravel. She knocked very gently on it.

"Come in," said a voice from inside. She turned the handle and walked into the exquisitely furnished room. The inside of the room was similar to Lucy's, and Edmund and Susan's, but she thought that everything looked grander, bigger, better in Peter's room. She saw Peter and Susan sitting on couches opposite each other, and already Edmund was making his way over to them to sit down beside Susan. Peter motioned to Lucy to take the space by him, and she did so silently. All the while, though, she was looking at Peter's face, and she saw in it sadness and despair.

"What is it, Peter?" she whispered.

Peter looked around at his siblings before answering. "I realize now that I should have told you this before, and I regret that I didn't, but I can't change my past decisions, so don't hold it against me that I am only telling you this now." He bit his lip, hesitant to continue.

"Go on, Peter," encouraged Susan. "We don't blame you for keeping a secret from us."

He nodded absentmindedly. "A few weeks ago, I met someone. She… her name was Kiara, and she is the most beautiful girl you can imagine. No offense," he added quickly, looking at Susan and Lucy.

"None taken," answered Susan.

"Anyways," Peter continued, "I talked to her and hung out with her for a while, until yesterday, when she told me that she had to go home."

"Home?" asked Edmund.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that she's from Galma and she and her father are traders. When she told me that, I realized that… that I love her more than anything, and to live without her is impossible."

Edmund put his head down and stared at the floor. Every time love was mentioned, he thought of Emily, the girl he had loved, and still loved to this day, even though she had rejected him. "I know the feeling," he muttered softly, so softly that no one else heard him.

"I asked her to marry me," continued Peter.

"What!" interrupted Edmund, raising his head suddenly. "Are you sure about that?" His feelings of self-pity vanished, and all that worried him now was his brother, and a fear that Peter had been rejected and would suffer what he had.

"I knew I loved her enough to marry her, and she wants to marry me too, but when we talked to her dad – you see, she's only eighteen, and she still needs her father's permission to get married – he refused. More than that, he took her away, back to Galma." Peter stopped and swallowed. Now, he thought, it was time to talk about the mistake.

Susan thought Peter had finished. She stood up and went by him to give him a hug. Lucy also leaned in and put her arms around her older brother. "Cheer up," said Susan. "Right now it seems bad, but you'll find someone else. Soon this Kiara will be forgotten and another girl will move into Cair Paravel." She didn't know it, of course, but both boys heard those words with distaste. Edmund knew, from experience, that someone you loved has never truly left you, and he saw in Peter's eyes that the love he had for Kiara was so big that he would hurt for a long time, maybe even longer than Edmund himself. Peter also knew he could never forget Kiara, but he also knew that the love he had for her was an everlasting one, something that Susan couldn't understand, for even though she'd dated many boys, she hadn't really loved any of them.

"There's more," Peter continued. "To prevent her from leaving, I… I said that the Calormens were going to flee Narnia and go through this port, so I closed it."

Edmund's eyes opened wide. He couldn't speak, unlike Susan, who said, "You did what? How could you? It… you…"

"Susan, stop," intervened Lucy. "Can't you see he regrets it?" Turning her attention to Peter she asked, "Are they still here, Peter?"

"No. Aslan came to me, and he told me I was wrong. I cancelled my order and let them go." Peter looked around at his siblings. Susan was obviously angry at his irresponsibility, and Lucy was shocked at what she had learned but still wanted nothing more than to help her brother. Edmund, however, was harder to read. Peter couldn't figure out exactly what he was thinking.

"I've got one last thing to tell you," Peter said, and he voiced what so far he had been the only one to know. "As he passed me to get onto the boat, Kiara's father whispered to me 'I have ties with the King. He'll be hearing about this, and you and all of Narnia will be sorry you tried to steal my daughter.'"


	11. Proposing

**A/N: Here's another development for Susan, which I'm guessing some of you had predicted. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and if you like what I'm doing, please keep letting me know!**

**Chapter Ten- Proposing**

After Peter's last words, a long silence filled the room. The siblings stared at each other, each not daring to voice their thoughts, their fears, of what could happen. Lucy finally broke the silence by asking, in the innocent voice of a young girl, "What do you think he'll do?"

Peter's first thought was to not answer, to try to keep Lucy out of all of this, but deeper inside he felt that she was old enough to help, and that it would be her duty as Queen to give as much support as she could.

"I don't know," he answered. "I mean, it could only be an empty treat, or he can ask for the King to do… well, whatever he wants."

"Do you think," Lucy questioned, "that this could make it so… almost like Galma isn't our ally anymore, and if we go to war they won't support us? They would side with our enemy."

Susan desperately wanted to remain calm, but as she heard her sister's ideas, she couldn't keep her own to herself. "Or they could cut trade with us and be unfriendly in countless ways."

"That's what I think is more likely to happen," said Peter. "I think… I hope that they will put aside their differences with us, I should say with me, if we ever were in war, but I don't know. Ed, what do you think?"

Edmund cocked his head to the side, as if considering which portion of his thoughts to share with the others. "For now," he said, "I think the best thing to do is wait and see how things go. We could very well be worried for nothing, and…"

Susan interrupted him. "I understand what you mean, but Ed, if we do nothing, we could be surprised and not have enough time to plan our actions. We need some sort of plan, but we will wait to use it until we need to."

"Su, we have no idea what they're planning. If we make a plan, it's only for one scenario out of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of possible ones. We need to not worry too much, or else when we need to act, all our ideas will be muddled."

"Edmund, I think Susan is right. We need at least an idea of what we may do, and if we don't do this, I know I won't be able to put it out of my mind. It will be nagging me unless…"

"It should nag at you!" exclaimed Edmund. "This is your fault. If you hadn't provoked her father, he wouldn't be spreading bad things about Narnia around in Galma. This doesn't even affect only you, it affects Narnia. It affects me, and Susan and Lucy, and every person who looks up to you and thinks you are protecting them. If you don't realize that, then you have no right to be here."

A shocked silence met those words. When Peter spoke, he made a huge effort to stay calm.

"You don't honestly think I don't realize what my actions have done, do you? It's because I know what I've done that I want to have a plan, to be prepared for when this will come back and try to harm all of Narnia. That's also what you want, so let's not argue and talk this over calmly to make the decision that will best benefit Narnia."

Edmund bit his lip. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all of this. We can make a plan for a possible outcome of this if you want to."

"Thanks Ed."

"Um," Lucy started quietly and nervously. "I think that whatever we do, it should make this an issue between our family and Kiara's, not Narnia with Galma."

"Yes, that's right Lu," said Susan. "but I had another idea. I thought we should ask Kiara's father if until she is old enough to live on her own, she can stay with him, in Galma, but during that time he promises not to force her to marry anybody. That way, as soon as she is free to, she can come back to Narnia and you can marry her."

"That's a good idea, Su," said Peter. "I'll write the letter today, and tomorrow, after-tomorrow at the latest, it will be posted." He stood, and his siblings all knew that the conversation was closed. Peter had said what he wished to, and he had heard a suggestion that he agreed with. There was nothing more to be said.

Susan, Edmund, and Lucy headed out together. They were silent as they walked down the corridor, but as the trio neared the staircase, Lucy asked, "What time is it?"

Edmund always had a pocket-watch on him, so he looked at it and answered, "About half past nine."

When she heard this, Susan was startled. She had completely forgotten her meeting with Rabadash at ten. It was in half an hour.

"Oh, no," she moaned, and started down the stairs quickly.

"Susan, what is it?" asked Lucy.

"I'm supposed to meet with Prince Rabadash at ten. I have to get ready." With those words, she raced away.

"Poor Susan," sighed Lucy.

"Well, I have news that will cheer her up when she hears it; her and the rest of Narnia," said Edmund.

"Oh, what is it?" demanded Lucy impatiently.

"Prince Rabadash told me yesterday that he was planning on leaving very soon. In less than a week we shall be rid of him."

"Good! Every minute I spend with him is torture. As soon as Susan comes back, I'll tell her. That will certainly cheer her up."

Rabadash was irritated. Susan was late. What on earth could she be doing? As he paced about, he looked at his watch. Four minutes past ten. Of course, no other person would consider a few minutes delay "late", but Rabadash was a Prince, and unlike the Pevensie siblings, he had grown up in a place where he was always put first. He never, ever had to wait, and if a servant was even a minute late delivering something, he would admonish them or, if he was in a very bad mood, fire them.

As Rabadash thought about how uncivilized Susan was to come so late, she was scurrying out of Cair Paravel. She reached Prince Rabadash as quickly as she could, but by the time she was there, it was six minutes past ten and Rabadash was fuming.

"Your Highness," said Susan with a curtsey.

"Your Majesty," responded the Prince. At the sight of Susan looking so pretty and delicate, all his anger washed away. He could never be mad at Susan for long. She was so very gorgeous.

"Shall we go walk?" asked Susan.

"Um, yes," said Rabadash. Today was the day, he thought as he walked with Susan through the gardens. He was finally going to do what he had intended to do since before he set foot in Narnia.

Once the pair was in a less visited, quieter part of the garden, Rabadash stopped. "Your Majesty," he said, "please, sit down."

Susan sat on a bench next to the Prince. "What is it?" she asked with a smile.

Rabadash didn't answer. Instead he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "Queen Susan, will you marry me?" he asked.

Susan was too surprised to speak. She stared at the ring, then looked up at the Prince's face, and she saw in it something that had always been there, but that she had never noticed. She saw love.

Rabadash saw that Susan couldn't speak, so he continued. "I have loved you since I first saw you, and I wanted to marry you immediately, but my father convinced me to pay you another visit first, where I would get to know you and see if I truly love you. Now that I have been here for a few weeks, I am convinced. I love you, and I always will. Please marry me."

Susan knew she could never marry the Prince, but he seemed so very in love that she decided to make her refusal as kind as she could. "Your Highness, I'm sorry, but though I have enjoyed your stay, I do not want to marry yet, and I do not feel what I believe true love is when I am with you."

Rabadash's face turned dark, and his eyes filled with disappointment… and anger. "So you are refusing me, a Prince living in the largest palace in this world, with the promise of a large, powerful kingdom in my future. Most others would give anything for this honor."

"I know, your Highness, and I am honored that you would choose me, but I believe that one should marry only if they are in love, not for titles or riches. I have looked for this love, but I have yet to find it, so do not be offended by my refusal. There have been others before you who wanted to marry me, and they all received the same answer. I will marry no one yet."

"Think of the benefits to Narnia. A man of Narnian descent will someday rule Calormen, and even before that, Calormen is a powerful ally, and the advantages of ties with her are countless. Surely your people mean enough to you that you will reconsider."

"Yes, my people mean a lot to me. They are so important that I would never willingly leave them. I want to stay in Narnia to protect them and care for them."

"What if protection of your people involves leaving Narnia?" whispered Rabadash. His eyes were blazing with hatred and determination.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Of course, my father, Tisroc of Calormen, will hear about this, and he too was in favor of our union. He will be angry that you refused. So angry that perhaps he will take it out on all of Narnia."

Susan gasped. "You don't mean to say that he would go to war with us simply because I do not wish to marry you."

"I said nothing of the sort, just that it might annoy him. Now, I am a gentleman." Susan rolled her eyes, but thankfully, Rabadash didn't notice. "I am willing to offer you a deal."

Susan raised her head and looked at Rabadash intently. What was he getting at? "Yes," she answered politely.

"I will allow you twenty-four hours to make a decision. Think it over carefully, or your people and family may suffer because of your choice. It is now ten thirty. At ten thirty tomorrow, I will wait for you here and you will give me your answer. Be wise in your decision, for I do not want you to potentially be harmed by your own foolishness." When he saw that Susan was not even thanking him for the delay, he added, "Your Majesty, do you accept this?"

"I do," answered Susan. She didn't show it, but she was glad of the time she now had. A day was enough to think this over extensively, and if she couldn't figure it out herself, she could ask Peter, Edmund, and Lucy for help. However, she resolved only to speak to them if she absolutely needed to.

"Excuse me," she murmured and walked away.

At first, her head was spinning, but by the time she reached Cair Paravel, her head had cleared and she realized the mistake she had thought of making.

"This concerns my siblings just as much as it concerns me," she thought. "I'll call them over now and discuss this with them. Please, Aslan, help us make the right choice, not only with this, but with Peter's love troubles as well. Guide us in doing whatever we can for the good of Narnia, even if that involves marriage for me."


	12. Suprising Confessions

**A/N: Again, thanks for the good response to last chapter. Sorry, this chapter is shorter than usual... But please follow/favorite/review!**

**Chapter Eleven- Surprising Confessions**

When Susan reentered Cair Paravel, she saw Lucy going down the stairs wearing a cloak. The young girl held the cloak firmly around her so that her dress was completely hidden, and as Susan gazed at her sister, she thought she saw a package under the cloak. This she saw only for a second, and for a while she wondered if she had imagined it. After all, why would Lucy be carrying something out secretly? It just didn't make sense.

"Hello, Lucy," greeted Susan.

Lucy stopped and glanced around, alarmed. When she saw Susan she smiled, but Susan saw in her sister's eyes that she wished Susan weren't there. Not at that moment, when Lucy needed to be elsewhere.

"Hello, Susan."

"Where are you off to?"

"Oh, I'm going to the market. I need to buy silk for curtains in my room," Lucy answered after a short pause. Her curtains were quite old, so hopefully Susan wouldn't notice the lie.

She did, but made sure to hide her puzzlement. "Can that wait? I need to talk to you and the boys. Something most unexpected has just come up, and I don't know what to do."

Lucy was about to refuse politely, but then decided against it. Her other activity would have to wait. "All right, Su, I'll come. Just give me a minute to put back my cloak, and I'll meet you in your room."

"I'll tell the boys. Be there as soon as you can."

"I will." Lucy rushed off in the direction she had come from. In her room, she put down her cloak and hid her package, food for the Calormens, under her bed.

Five minutes later, she was standing outside Susan's door, waiting for her sister. Before long, Susan, Peter, and Edmund came into view, and Susan let the group into her room. She locked her door behind them.

"So, Su, will you tell us why we're here?" asked Edmund. "Two meetings in one day is a lot. What more is there to say?"

"Oh, believe me, if I had known about this before this morning, you would already have been aware of it. As it is, I have only heard this news a few minutes ago. I wanted to tell you as soon as I knew about it."

"Then what is this important news?" asked Peter.

Susan didn't hesitate at all before saying the words that had so much meaning to her. "Prince Rabadash has asked me to marry him."

The others opened their eyes wide. That was certainly unexpected.

"You said no, right?" questioned Lucy.

"I did, but then he threatened me."

"What!" exclaimed Peter. "He threatened you. How dare he? Susan, whatever he said, I hope you told him you would never marry him, that worthless thug…"

"Peter, calm down. If he had said anything other than what he did, I would have, but he said that Calormen would attack Narnia if I refused him."

"What!" cried both boys at once. Lucy was too stunned to say anything.

"I don't know what to do. I can't possibly think of a solution where I don't marry him."

"Susan," said Edmund sternly. "Listen to me. You will not marry that brute, I won't allow it."

"You can't stop me from doing that if that's the only way to prevent war. But I called you here to ask if any of you could help me think of a solution other than me marrying Rabadash. I have until tomorrow to give him my answer."

They talked and discussed and went through every imaginable solution, but could find nothing that had a chance of working. If I were to write down everything they said, you would get bored and stop reading, so I will just say this; at the end if their discussion, all four of the children had given up finding an answer to the problem.

"There's nothing else to do, so I must accept him," said Susan.

"No!" exclaimed Peter, Edmund, and Lucy in unison.

"There's nothing else to do but…"

"Prepare to go to war," finished Peter.

"Peter," began Susan.

"No, Susan, whatever you say, we won't let you marry Rabadash. And anyway, I think Narnia could win a war against Calormen. After all, their strength is in numbers, but to get to Narnia to attack us, they would have to cross the Great Desert. An entire army can't go through all at once, and they can't bring all of their supplies. The other option for them would be to come by sea, but Narnia has a much better navy, and I know we can sink their ships easily. If Calormen is foolish enough to attack us, then they will suffer a loss."

"I think you're right, Peter," said Edmund. "We should gather up our troops now, though, even though Calormen hasn't declared war on us yet."

"Yes, I agree, but with most of our men gone, we need someone to go gather the soldiers all around Narnia. Let's see, who should we put in charge of this?"

"What about Mr. Beaver?" said Lucy. "He's always willing to help us, and he can leave his dam for a few days with no problems."

"Yes, Lu, I think…"

"Um, I think we should get one of the soldiers from here to go," said Edmund hurriedly. "Mr. Beaver can't travel as fast as a man on horseback, and he'll get tired out, whereas our soldiers are well trained and can endure the travel better."

His brother and sisters were puzzled. What was Edmund thinking? Of course, he was thinking of Prince Corin, and how he needs Mr. Beaver around to protect the boy.

"Edmund, what's going on?" demanded Peter. "Why don't you want Mr. Beaver to do this?"

"He's ill-disposed for the task we ask of him," replied Edmund.

"No, he's not," said Peter sharply. "He can travel extremely fast, and he knows all the talking beasts and other creatures in the forest. He can get help from them and encourage them to join in the war effort."

"Well, what about our men away from Cair Paravel? They will be more inclined to believe a soldier and treat this as a matter of urgency than if a beaver they don't know comes along."

"I will write a letter to the captains of the troops to say that Beaver can be trusted."

"I still think…"

"Edmund," interrupted Susan. "What is the real reason you don't want Beaver to be assigned this job? I've noticed that you are very secretive, and you leave Cair Paravel without saying where you're going almost every day. Where do you go? Why do you go?"

"Yes, Edmund, I've also noticed that you sneak out a lot," added Lucy. "Are you visiting the Beavers? Is there something about them that you want to keep secret from us?"

Edmund was nervous. He felt his face get hot, and he hoped that his siblings wouldn't notice his discomfort. "I don't know what you're talking about," he answered, trying to keep his voice level and calm.

"I can tell you do," said Susan. "Tell us, Edmund."

"No, I can't."

"So you do admit that there is something going on?" asked Susan.

Edmund realized the mistake he made. He sighed. "Fine, there is something, but I gave my word that I wouldn't talk about this. I can't tell you. I swore on my honor."

"Well," said Peter briskly, getting up, "there's only one thing left to do."

"What?" asked Lucy.

"I'm going to Beaver's house to see what is there that Edmund refuses to tell us."

"No, Peter, don't," protested Edmund.

"If you won't tell me, I'll find out for myself."

"Peter, will you tell us what you find?" asked Lucy.

"Hm… yes, I will. If Edmund had told us we would have been bound by his oath and we couldn't tell anyone either, but I learn what this is alone, I can tell anyone I want." Peter hoped that this final threat to spread the news would be enough for Edmund to tell him. It was.

"Oh, all right, I'll tell you," said Edmund. "Here it is. Prince Corin is at the Beavers' house."

Susan gasped. "How… why…"

"When I went over to Archenland a few weeks ago, King Lune asked me to take Corin to Narnia to protect him."

"Protect him? Protect him from what?" asked Peter.

"Well if you let me continue, I'll tell you," said Edmund. "Some Calormens were plotting to kill the Prince, and King Lune thought the safest place to hide him was here, in Narnia."

"So, for weeks, Corin has been in danger of being killed, so you take him here and hide him at the Beavers', but you never tell us."

"Yes, exactly," answered Edmund. "Sorry guys, but I swore. I go and visit him every day, which is why you see me mysteriously disappear."

"Edmund, did you ever think that perhaps the Calormen outlaws were the ones trying to kill Corin?" asked Susan. "If they are, then it's not safe for him to be in Narnia while they are."

"I have thought of that, but I figured that the Calormen government would have told King Lune if that was indeed what the outlaws were planning."

"Well, at least I'm pretty sure that we can count on Archenland if we end up fighting a war," said Peter. "While their Prince is here, they won't fight against us."

"I never doubted that Archenland would support us," said Lucy. "We are good friends, and we help each other often. A country like Galma is more likely to side with Calormen when the war breaks out."

Peter put his head down. Anytime Kiara or Galma was mentioned, he was struck by painful memories of her departure.

Lucy saw that she had inadvertently hurt her brother. "I'm sorry," she said, and she went over to hug him. "We'll sort everything out, Peter. Don't worry. Aslan will guide us."


	13. Complications Arise (Part One)

**A/N: Thanks again for the great response! Keep reviewing.**

**Chapter Twelve- Complications Arise**

As she did whenever royal life became overwhelming, Lucy wrapped her cloak around herself and exited Cair Paravel. She made her way into the woods and trod on a now well-known path to where her friends camped. Dumon was napping, Jameesh was reading, and Leandra was braiding grass. She looked up when she heard Lucy and smiled, but when she looked into Lucy's eyes, she saw a look of distress, so she stood up and ran over to her friend.

"Lucy, what's happened?" she asked.

When Lucy saw the look of concern on her friend's face, she couldn't hold in all the emotion she had just felt. She ran into Leandra's arms and cried bitterly.

"Oh, Leandra, it's horrible," she sobbed. "Peter… he's fallen in love with a girl from Galma, but her father took her away and now is threatening us. Susan… Prince Rabadash wants to force her to marry him, and threatens to go to war with us if she refuses. Edmund… he's been hiding and protecting Prince Corin in Narnia, and someone wants to murder Corin… and…"

"What!" Leandra was alarmed. Something in her voice made Lucy stop crying, and she wiped her eyes as Leandra called her brothers over.

"Lucy," said Jameesh. "Is it true? Is Prince Corin in Narnia?"

"Um, yes," answered Lucy, puzzled. Why did this seem so important? "It's for his protection, you see, King Lune told Edmund…"

"No, being in Narnia means he will almost certainly die," said Jameesh.

"Wh…what are you talking about?"

"Well, you know what we told you about how we got here and, more importantly, why?" Lucy nodded. "That's not exactly true. We heard some stuff, stuff that you need to know."

"Wait, Jameesh, you've been lying to me? Everything you said isn't true? So, does that mean you really are outlaws? You really have committed a crime?"

"No, no. When we first told you our story, I wasn't sure if we could trust you, so we changed it a little bit, while keeping it as close to the truth as possible. I'm sorry we did, but now, I'll tell you everything that happened. Every detail."

"Okay," said Lucy, sounding unconvinced.

"Here's what happened. When we were hiding in that shed, some men came in. Among them were the Tisroc, Prince Rabadash, and the Tisroc's private counselor."

"That can't be true," interrupted Lucy. "Why would the Tisroc be sneaking around at night and hiding in sheds?"

"Will you just listen? I'm about to explain," replied Jameesh. "So, they were plotting a murder, like I said before, but it was the murder of Prince Corin." Lucy's eyes opened wide, but Jameesh wouldn't let himself get interrupted again. "Their plan was to have servants discuss the murder in front of the Archenland ambassador, who would of course tell the King. However, the rumor would be that a low-classman was plotting this, not the Tisroc. King Lune would try to protect his son, right?" Lucy nodded. "So, he would send him away from Archenland with a powerful person, someone he trusts. Can you think of no one who fits that description?"

"Edmund," Lucy whispered.

"Exactly," said Jameesh. "Even in Calormen, your brother's friendship with King Lune is known. In any case, Prince Corin would be in Narnia under King Edmund's watch while a different part of the plan was taking place. Prince Rabadash was supposed to travel to Narnia to ask Queen Susan to marry him. This part of the plan has two possible outcomes, and both, according to the Tisroc, would turn out favorably for Calormen. If the Queen accepts, he would go to Calormen and marry her. Then he would declare war on Narnia for some made-up reason I can't recall. However, if she refused, he would use that as a pretext to declare war on Narnia. Then during the war he would kidnap her."

"That's awful!" exclaimed Lucy. "I'll warn Susan as soon as I get back. But I don't see the correlation with Prince Corin… it seems like he'll be safe."

"On the contrary, Prince Rabadash was given the task of finding where the King is hiding the Prince. Obviously, he would not be strolling around your palace, but Rabadash was ordered to do whatever is necessary to find him. Then, during the war, he would have a group of soldiers kill Corin, and if any questions were asked, say that the men had no way of knowing that this boy was a foreign prince. Then, King Lune would be angry with King Edmund for failing in his duty and killing his son. He will probably side with Calormen in the war against Narnia, which will then make it easy for them to win. Then, the Tisroc will turn against Archenland, and with the Narnian power that they just conquered behind them, Calormen will easily defeat King Lune. Then the Tisroc will be the ruler of the largest and most powerful empire ever to have existed."

When Jameesh finished, everyone was silent. Lucy was trying to assimilate everything she had heard. Things were just moving so fast… she wished she could go back in time to before this had started, right before Rabadash had sent his letter. But then again, it was after that point that she had met Jameesh, Leandra, and Dumon. She didn't regret encountering her new friends. She felt closer to them than she did with anyone except her family. Plus, they were a gratefully accepted escape from royal life.

"I'm sorry, I should go," she said softly. "I need to talk to Peter, Su, and Ed about what we're going to do."

"Bye, Lucy," Leandra answered with a smile. She hugged Lucy quickly, then watched her friend walk off into the woods. "Poor Lucy," she whispered.


	14. Complications Arise (Part Two)

**A/N: This and the previous chapter are really part of the same one, but I didn't finish it when I posted the last chapter and didn't want to make you guys. Which is why both parts are pretty short. This is for those of you who like Kiara :)**

**Chapter Twelve- Complications Arise (Part Two)**

Far away from Narnia and all its problems, a boat was landing in the port of Lehos, the capital of the small island country of Galma. The citizens of the city always enjoyed a ship's return, and today had been a slow day, with only a few fishing boats coming and going, so the mediocre sized boat created quite a commotion; the port was flooded with people chattering excitedly about who could be aboard the ship. When a young girl stepped down onto the dock, the townspeople recognized her immediately, for Galma was known for having small cities full of inhabitants who like to gossip, and even in the capital, everyone knew each other. "Look, it's Kiara," an old woman said. "My, she is so beautiful today. The Narnian air must have done her good."

"But look at her eyes," a second woman responded. "They are full of sadness… I wonder what happened to her."

The woman was pushed out of the way by a teenage girl running up to Kiara. "Kiara! You're back!" She yelled.

Kiara smiled, but the sorrow was still apparent in her eyes. "Felicia, it's good to see you! I missed you so much!" The two girls hugged, and Felicia stepped back to look her friend up and down.

"You're thinner than usual. You have dark circles under your eyes. And you are slouching. I know these symptoms anywhere. Something happened." She dragged the girl away to the park across the street and sat her down on a bench. "Tell me everything."

Kiara sighed. "I met a boy…"

Felicia smiled. "Ah, you had a little romance in Narnia and now you're sad it's over?" Don't worry, there will be other guys."

Kiara was annoyed. Sure, Felicia often had what she called a 'little romance,' but she couldn't just assume that Kiara's relationship with Peter had been the same thing. "It wasn't a 'little romance.' I fell in love with him, and we wanted to get married." Felicia's eyes opened wide. "But Father said no. And he took me away. Now I may never see him again."

Felicia hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry… but if you guys really were in love, maybe he'll come get you." Kiara said nothing. She thought of Peter's odd reaction at the port, how he had told her dad in an emotionless voice that they could go and how he hadn't even looked at her. _He didn't fight for me then. Why would he come look for me? _

Felicia kept talking. "The main plaza is rumored to attract love. If you wait there long enough, the love of your life is supposed to pass by. You should try it." Kiara knew that Felicia, despite her inability to keep a boyfriend for long, was a hopeless romantic at heart. She believed in true love and claimed that "there is no use in dating a guy once you see he's not The One." When Kiara had asked how to know who was The One, Felicia had laughed and answered, "You feel it in your heart. Don't worry, when you meet him, you'll know." Kiara had rolled her eyes at this, but ever since she had met Peter and fallen in love, she had started revising her opinion. _What if she's right? Maybe I should give it a try_.

"Thanks, Felicia. I'll go there starting tomorrow." She stood up to leave.

"Before you go, you never told me his name, or anything about him. Don't I deserve to know?"

"His name is Peter. He's the High King of Narnia."

Felicia stared at her, mouth open, eyes unblinking, unable to register the words she had heard.

"Your lover is the High King?"

"He's not my lover, he's the man I have fallen in love with. This fact is not influenced by his rank, only by his personality, and by the way I feel when I'm around him."

Felicia was about to answer when a loud voice rang out behind the two girls. "Kiara, come here! We need to get home." It was Mr. Butler. The girls quickly said goodbye and Kiara ran to her dad.

"Sorry, father, I was talking to Felicia."

"We have someone to visit, then we will head home." Mr. Butler smiled at the prospect of this visit. The pair set off down the main road. Before long, they stopped at the door of a large mansion. This was the home of King Liam, sovereign of Galma.

Mr. Butler knocked, and a servant opened the door. "How may I help you?" he asked politely.

"I am William Butler, and I would like to speak with the King. It's urgent."

"I'll see what I can do for you," the servant responded. "Please, come in to the waiting room."

When the servant walked off, Kiara hissed at her father. "I can't believe you are really going to do this. You may not like Peter, but don't involve the King. There's no reason. He let us go, he doesn't want to marry me anymore. You saw it yourself." Deep inside, she hoped her words were false, but just as she had been incapable of revealing her fears to Felicia, she couldn't show her father her weakness.

"I will do whatever is necessary to protect you," answered her father coldly.

The servant came back, and Mr. Butler left, leaving Kiara to wonder about what he was telling the King and what they would do to Peter and Narnia. _It wouldn't be war, would it? _she asked herself. Unfortunately, she was unable to convince herself that peace would be used to solve the issue.

An hour or so later, her father re-entered the room. "What happened?" the young girl asked impatiently.

"All relations with Narnia will be cut off. The King doesn't want to go into open war with them, but we will stay as distant from them as possible."

Kiara sighed. This was her fault. Well, her dad's fault, but she could have prevented this by refusing Peter's offer of marriage. _Now I am making all of Narnia suffer_, she thought.


	15. Disagreements (Part One)

**Hey, sorry I took so long in updating, but junior year is though. I know everyone says that, but I really didn't realize that you spend ****_every_**** second of time working. Anyways, updates from now on will be slow. I again published just half a chapter (my apologies to those who dislike reading something short). I ****_am_**** trying, it's just hard.**

**Chapter Thirteen – Disagreements**

Because she returned rather late that night, Lucy chose not to tell her siblings about her discovery just yet. Instead, she went to bed, tossed and turned for hours without getting any sleep, and got up early the next morning. She strolled through the garden, then went to breakfast, and immediately afterwards, she whispered to her siblings to meet her in her room. The council meeting would begin in a half hour, so she had very little time.

When Edmund, the last to arrive, closed the door, he wasted to time. "What's your secret?"

Lucy lowered her eyes. "You're not the only one hiding someone," she said hesitantly.

Susan arched her eyebrows. "You too?"

"Yes…" Lucy took a deep breath, then started recounting her meeting with the Calormens, how she found out they were outlaws, and what they had revealed to her.

Edmund smiled slightly at the end of the story. "Well, Su, this shows you are completely right in refusing Rabadash. He would declare war on us no matter what happened."

Peter frowned. "Why don't you look any more upset, Ed?"

"Because now we know the Tisroc's plans, which will put him at a disadvantage. We will be able to protect Corin, secure Archenland's help, prevent Susan from marrying him, and stay prepared for war. We already discussed our military advantage, so once they lose the element of surprise, the Calormens won't stand a chance."

"But how do we know these three kids are telling the truth?" asked Peter. They could very easily be traitors, working for the Calormens."

"No, they aren't!" Lucy exclaimed. "I trust them."

"Lucy, Peter is right. We don't know they are on our side."

Edmund disagreed. "Su, Peter, you're way to ready to accuse them of being traitors. Well, as someone with more knowledge of treachery and why it happens, I disagree."

"Edmund, you were never really a traitor. You were conned by the Witch. These people aren't necessary like you. It was dangerous for Lucy to even spend time with them," Susan said.

"Listen, the last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid," Edmund retorted. "Plus, people don't do evil things for the heck of it. There's always an exposure to evil, something that put the idea in their head, and a trigger, something that sets them off, and a prize to gain. We can't know the outlaws' exposure or trigger, but tell me what their prize is and I'll revise my opinion."

"Well, Price Corin would be dead," Peter supplied.

Edmund scoffed. "You know just as well as I do that they wouldn't gain from that. No, those who stand to gain are the Calormen government officials and the Tisroc."

"Then explain those three 'stages' of evil to us in relation to them," demanded Susan.

"Simple. Exposure: they have spent their lives reading about crime and war. Plus, they imprison criminals every day. Or see them get away with crimes. Trigger: Rabadash falling in love with Susan. They always were power-hungry, but they could live with it. Now, they are being pushed over the edge. Prize: they will be the most powerful empire ever if they succeed."

"So what do you suggest?" asked Lucy, delighted that someone believed her.

"It's simple really. I want to bring Corin back to Archenland. Meanwhile, Peter gathers up the army. We defend the Southern border of Archenland, outside the desert, with the two nations' combined armies. Also, Susan goes to Galma to negotiate with them so they help us on the ocean. Our two navies wait for Calormen near Narnian coast."

"Edmund," interrupted Peter. "I can't in good conscience allocate all men and resources to something that might be a sham. However, I will give your idea a shot. We will discuss the matter in council today, and vote on it in three days, as the law indicates."

"We can't wait that long!" protested Edmund.

"Yes we can. I am the High King, you need to listen to me."

"I will always listen to you, I just won't obey you when you want to destroy our country! With or without you, I'm going to start doing something about this."

"You can't without any Narnian resources."

"I will go to Archenland, Galma, and maybe even Terebinthia. Maybe they will be more reasonable than you." Edmund stormed out and slammed the door.

"When will learn to do as he's told?" Peter was fuming. Lucy put her hand on his shoulder to calm him. "Let's go to Council," he said.

Edmund jumped on his horse and rode off into the woods. Pushing his horse hard, he arrived at Beaversdam in record time. When he entered, he saw Mrs. Beaver washing the dishes.

"Oh Edmund, you're earlier than usual!" She exclaimed. Then, she saw the expression on his face. "What's wrong, dear?"

"Where's Prince Corin?"

"Upstairs, but Edmund, what's going on?"

Edmund didn't reply. He strode purposefully up the stairs and saw Corin through an open door at the end of the hallway. He stepped inside and closed the door.

"King Edmund! What brings you here now?" Corin sounded joyful and innocent.

"Your Highness, I need to speak with you about an important matter."

"Yes, Sire?"

"Well, your father and I thought that bringing you here would protect you and possibly save your life. It turns out that we were just pawns in a chessboard, and you will die if you stay here." Edmund knew he should be softer on the boy, but he had no patience after what happened in the morning. He saw the Prince turn pale. "Therefore, I am bringing you back to Archenland today. Start packing."

"But King Edmund…."

"No buts. Get ready."

At that moment there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Mr. Beaver appeared. "Edmund, Corin, what on earth is going on?"

Edmund knelt down to speak to the beaver. "I am taking the Prince away. Thank you so much for having taken care of him. I will repay you in the future, but time is of the essence here, so we must be off." He turned around and saw Corin with a bag on his shoulder.

"I'm ready, Sir. I just need to say goodbye." Edmund nodded. Corin went over to Mr. Beaver and hugged him tightly. "Bye, Mr. Beaver. Thanks for everything you've done for me."

"It was my pleasure, Corin. Come back as often as you wish." Edmund noticed with surprise how informally the beaver spoke to the prince. _They must have established quite a bond_, he thought, _and it is a shame to have to take Corin away, but I have no choice_.

"Prince Corin, let's go." This time, he spoke more gently. The pair started going down the stairs, and Edmund explained to Mrs. Beaver and Corin's bodyguards why they had to leave. As they were speaking, they heard thunder outside, and Corin looked out the window, only to see rain pouring out of the large storm clouds above.

"Your Majesty," said the leader of the guards. "I apologize, but we cannot in good conscience let the Prince travel in this weather. It's too dangerous."

Edmund sighed. "Alright, we'll travel as soon as the storm is over." They settled down to wait out the storm, sipping tea and playing cards.


End file.
